


Ephemeral

by Benikru



Category: The Walking Dead, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Zombies, Angst and Humor, Apocalypse, Bad at the beginning, Badass Jeon Jungkook, Badass Kim Taehyung, Blood Loss, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Bottom Jeon Jungkook, Brotherly Bonding, Character Death, Dirty Jokes, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotionally Unstable jeon Jungkook, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Everyone Loves Jeon Jungkook, Falling In Love, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Fights, First Kiss, First Time, Flirty Kim Taehyung | V, Fluff and Angst, Funny Kim Taehyung | V, Grief/Mourning, Gun Violence, Guns, Gunshot Wounds, Happy Ending, Hate to Love, Hurt Kim Taehyung | V, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Injury Recovery, Innocent Jeon Jungkook, It Gets Better, Jeon Jungkook Needs a Hug, Jeon Jungkook is Bad at Feelings, Jeon Jungkook is a Brat, Jeon Jungkook is a Little Shit, Jeon Jungkook-centric, Kidnapped Jeon Jungkook, Kidnapping, Killing, Kim Taehyung | V is Whipped, Kim Taehyung | V is a Little Shit, Kim Taehyung | V is a Tease, Knives, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Major Character Injury, Minor Character Death, Murder, Past Abuse, Past Sexual Abuse, Shy Jeon Jungkook, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Stitches, Taehyung shows up in chapter ‘a..a pun, Taekook meet in the middle of the book, Tattoos, Team as Family, Top Kim Taehyung | V, Walkers, War, Weapons, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies, cringe at the beginning, taekook meet later, the walking dead - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:46:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 24
Words: 85,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21970066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Benikru/pseuds/Benikru
Summary: The zombie apocalypse didn't cross Jungkook’s mind until he saw his classmate biting a chunk out of his history teacher. Confused and scared, Jungkook has to fight for his life in a world roamed by the living and the dead.
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V, Maggie Greene/Glenn Rhee, OC/OC
Comments: 51
Kudos: 38





	1. Sage smoothie

**|Jungkook|**

**A boy with light brown hair and dark brown eyes w**as surrounded by laughing girls and grinning boys. His chubby cheeks had a faint pink dust to them and his red lips were stretched out in a wide smile, showing off his two front bunny teeth.

His ebony coloured eyes were focused on a blonde girl in front of him as she spoke,"Imagine being so weird that you have to spy on a couple making out. But then again, you have to get action some way." The girl snickered, a hostile look in her green eyes.

The people around the table laughed at the comment, some looked away, ignoring what the blonde had said and some scrunched up their noses in disgust. Jungkook allowed a small laugh to escape his lips before his eyes caught onto someone entering the cafeteria.

The girl was small, a crop top and skinny jeans adored her curvy body. Her hair reached her chin and was dyed a bright pink colour. A pair of glasses rested on the tip of her nose while her eyes were strained on her phone. Her name was Sage, despite the fact that she was beautiful, she was incredibly antisocial and that's what made her the victim of bullying.

The group at the lunch table became quiet as they noticed the girl. Everyone turned towards her, sneers filled with disgust and judgment visible on their faces, while others turned away and continued eating. Gguk, himself frowned at the girl, he had heard many awful stories about her and his thoughts on her weren't the best.

Katelyn, the girl who was making out with her boyfriend in the bathroom, glared at the girl. While the two were getting it on, Sage had been hiding in a cubicle, watching them. Kate caught her and now she wanted some revenge because Sage scared away the guy.

Jungkook watched Sage as she walked to the corner of the room and sat down at her table. While this was happening, her eyes never left the phone in her hands.

"What'd you think is on there?" Michael, another popular guy at school. Unfortunately, he had asthma and was horrible at sports, the only reason why he's sitting at the 'popular table' is because of his good grades and looks.

Jungkook was a part of the popular kids at school. He, himself, didn't know why Katelyn had taken an interest in him and invited him to join them. Gguk didn't really care about the reason, all that mattered was that he was loved by everyone in the school, and he wasn't being bullied by Kate and the rest of the populars.

Katelyn rolled her eyes before her eyes shifted to Jungkook. A devilish smirk appeared on her ruby red lips and she placed her head in her palm, gazing at Jungkook.

Gguk was still staring at the girl, yet, instead of thinking of all the disgusting things he's heard about her, he was watching her facial expressions. Sage looked afraid and confused as her eyes darted over the phone screen. Jungkook watched as her lips parted in shock and her body tensed up when she saw something on the phone.

"Looks like someone's gotta crush on the freak." Katelyn sang, placing her small hand on Jungkook's bigger one to catch his attention.

The boy looked at her with wide eyes and furrowed eyebrows, confusion evident on his face,"What? No, I don't!"

"But you were watching her with this dreamy look on your face." Katelyn pulled back her hand, her lips tugging down into a small pout.

Gguk frowned, leaning back into his chair as he felt his 'friends' look at him. None of them were his friends, maybe that's why Jungkook was so nervous. These popular kids could turn on him in a second and he'd be casted out of their group without a second thought. Gguk knew that once that happens he'll be next to Sage, getting bullied along with her.

He could feel the judgmental stares and small glares burning through his clothes. The boy swallowed thickly, his eyes squinting into a glare as he stared into Kate's green eyes. He didn't want to give away his place at the top, he didn't want to loose the comfort and popularity he had gained in these past 6 months.

"I don't." Jungkook stated firmly, his voice deepening ever so slightly.

Kate smirked and picked up her water, taking a sip. She leaned back in her chair, mimicking Gguk, before she smirked and spoke"Prove it then."

The rest of the teenagers stared at the two, their eyes filled with anticipation and curiosity. Jungkook knew that they had become bored with school Since nothing interesting had happened in the past two weeks. The populars were starving for drama, and Gguk knew that him getting kicked out of their group could be exactly what filled their hunger.

Jungkook stared at her in confusion, his dark brows furrowed and his lips pursued,"How?" Gguk swallowed thickly, raising an eyebrow.

He would do anything to stay with the populars. He would do anything to not loose the place he had gained.

Kate grinned, her white teeth fully on display. She looked towards sage and leaned over the table towards Gguk. The boy didn't move as she whispered something to him. Only when he heard something in particular, did he jerk away from her and look at her with wide eyes,

"I...what?"

"So you like her then?" Kate raised an eyebrow while she inspected her nails. Kate was incredibly smart and manipulative, the reason why she was the one in control of who gets to be in their group and who gets to....leave. And judging by the smirk on her face, Kate knew that Jungkook would do anything to stay with them.

Gguk swallowed thickly, his eyes shifting around the table. He noticed the frowns, glares and looks of disgust he was receiving, and quickly shook his head.

"No." Gguk glared at everyone and stood up, his chair screeched in the process and nearly fell over.

The brown haired boy turned towards Sage's table and marched towards her. His palms became sweaty and his throat clogged up. He could feel Kate's gaze on his back, just like he could feel the curious looks from other people in the cafeteria.

Sage didn't see him coming, being too engrossed in whatever she was watching on her phone.

Jungkook passed by a table and grabbed a banana smoothie from it. The person looked up and stared in confusion but said nothing after seeing who took it.

Gguk stepped behind Sage and glanced down at the phone in her hands. He saw a man attacking a woman, ripping into her throat and eating her flesh. Jungkook's nose scrunched up in disgust, his theories about the antisocial girl confirming, judging by the things she was watching.

He raised the smoothie and poured it all over her head. The girl let out a loud gasp and jumped up from the chair. The phone in her hand slipped out from her fingers and fell to the ground with a clunk.

Jungkook watched the shock on her face before her eyes shifted towards him. The furious look in her eyes faltered and a look of hurt washed over her delicate features.

For a mere second, Gguk felt guilt bubble up inside of him from the way the girl was staring at him. She didn't look angry, she looked disappointed.

The feeling quickly washed away when a manicured hand wrapped around his bicep and the strong scent of Channel invaded his nostrils. Katelyn smirked as she watched the hurt on Sage's face.

"I told you he doesn't like you, maybe this is enough proof." Kate smiled sweetly, unwrapping her arm from Jungkook's and taking a step towards a, now, furious Sage.

"Wait, what?" Gguk allowed the confusion to slip into his words as he spoke.

Kate ignored him and walked closer to a glaring Sage. Her eyes squinted into a glare and her jaw clenched. Gguk took a step towards the two when he noticed the way Sage was clenching her hands.

"He doesn't like you because you're a freak. Just a weird girl, who sits in the corner of the class and doesn't say anything," Kate sneered, her beautiful features twisting into something vile and disgusting,"He'll never like you, nobody will ever like you, get that through your thi-"

Kate's words were cut off by Sage raising her fist and punching her in the nose. Gasps and quiet murmurs filled the cafeteria. Jungkook's mouth fell open in shock and his eyes widened as he watched the blood drip down Kate's nose.

"What the fuck?!" Kate screeched, her hands flying up to her bleeding nose. Her eyes welled up with tears before they escaped her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

Sage glared at everyone, her chest heaving up and down in anger and fear. Her light blue eyes shifted to Jungkook and she glared at him with hatred and disgust. The brown haired boy took a step back from the intensity of the look. His eyes shifted away from sage when the guilt hit him in the chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

"None of this matters anymore,"Sage shouted loudly, addressing everyone in the cafeteria,"Y'all are gonna be dead in a few hours."

The pink haired girl turned around and ran out of the cafeteria, leaving behind a bloody Kate and a confused Jungkook.

The boy looked away from the door she escaped through and glanced down at the floor. Jungkook noticed her phone laying on the ground, causing him to bend down and pick it up.

He turned it on and tried to unlock it, but he soon found out that she had a password. Before Gguk could even ponder over the password, the phone was knocked out of his hand and his wrist was grabbed.

Jungkook jumped in alarm, being too zoned out to notice Marcus, one of his real friends, approach him. Marcus was just as popular as the rest of them, the only difference was that he was popular because of his kindness.

Marcus didn't hang out around the populars because he never wanted to be popular, especially when they were all controlled by someone like Katelyn. Marcus usually spent his time with different kind of groups in the school. He said that they all taught him something important and that Jungkook should leave the populars and join him instead.

Marcus always looked out for Jungkook, knowing that he was easily manipulated. When he saw Kate trying to turn him more like her, he would always get involved and distance Gguk from the populars.

Marcus sighed, the disappointed glare he was shooting Jungkook disappearing once he noticed the wide eyed look on the boy's face. Marcus sighed and tugged Gguk out of the cafeteria,"Let's go, class is gonna start."

Jungkook followed after his dark skinned friend without answering, the only thing on his mind being Sage's words replaying like a broken stereo.


	2. Blood, sweat and tears

**|Jungkook|**

**"Some crazy dude attacked Tessa when she was smok**ing behind the school, apparently he scratched her or something."

Jungkook's eyes lifted from his notebook and he looked at Kate, who was sitting next to him. Her long nails tapped against her phone screen as she texted someone. Jungkook's eyes glanced at the bloody tissue stuffed in her nostrils and he cringed in disgust.

Gguk looked away from her and towards the teacher, wondering if he'll say anything to her about her phone. But the man just continued his lecture about WW2, addressing the students who were listening to him.

"Is she okay?" Gguk looked towards Tessa, who was sitting diagonally from them.

The girl had her hands on her table and her face pressed into her hands. Tessa always slept in classes because she usually spent her nights studying for tests. She says it's because she can focus more during the night time.

"I don't know, probably." Kate shrugged nonchalantly, not an ounce of concern on her face.

Jungkook rolled his eyes and turned away from her, fearing that if he looked at her any longer, he'll allow his annoyance to show.

Jungkook placed his elbow on the table and leaned his head against his palm. His eyes shifted towards the clock on the wall and he let out a deep sigh, when he noticed it was 23 minutes until the end of the period. Gguk's eyes drifted to his left and he looked out of the window.

He could see people walking around or sitting under the trees, books or phones in hands. Some were studying and some were talking to their friends. Jungkook could see cars driving past the street, every single one speeding somewhere.

His brows furrowed when he noticed 3 cop cars speed past the school towards the city. The loud sirens pierced his ears, making him cringe at the noise.

"Sir."

Gguk looked away from the window and glanced towards the voice. Melanie, the girl sitting next to Tessa, was staring at the latter with a scrunched up nose.

"Yes, Miss Carson?" The teacher sighed, thinking that another dumb question will leave the girls mouth. Like usual.

"I... I think there's something wrong with Tessa." Melanie pointed towards Tessa, who seemed to be sleeping.

Gguk squinted his eyes and leaned forward in his chair. He bit his lower lip as he tried to notice what was wrong with Tessa. And then He heard it. The small growls and moans leaving the girl's mouth.

Jungkook leaned further away from her, watching as the teacher approached Tessa. The students were quiet while the teacher began to redden in anger,

"Miss Grooves! How many times how I told you not to sleep in my class?!" The teacher slammed his hands down on the girl's table.

Jungkook flinched slightly, watching as Tessa's hand slowly began to move and her head began to lift up.

"Miss Grooves!" The teacher hissed, reaching out to grasp the girl's shoulder. But as soon as he touched her, Tessa's head shot up and her teeth latched onto his wrist. Tessa viciously ripped a chunk out of the teacher's skin, causing Gguk to freeze in his spot.

A loud scream left the teacher's lips before he pulled his hand away from Tessa and harshly pushed her away. Jungkook's eyebrows raised at the scene in front of him, his mouth parted in shock and he shot up from his chair, causing it to screech and fall over.

The students in the room jumped away from the girl, they were frozen in shock, watching as Tessa stood up from the ground and faced them. The usual confident look in her eyes was replaced by an unfocused, lifeless gaze. Her skin was pale and her eyes were red. Blood poured out of her mouth and dripped down her chin. Small growls left her lips as she lunged for her next prey.

Melanie.

Gguk was frozen in terror, for a second he wondered if this was a crude prank. Maybe the populars were getting too bored so they decided to play a prank on everyone for their own entertainment.

But as soon as he saw Tessa turn around and sink her teeth into Melanie's shoulder, he knew this was real.

As if a spell was broken, the students began to scream and wail loudly. The teacher, who had been Tessa's first meal, pushed past the students and ran out of the room, leaving them to fend for themselves. The teenagers shoved past each other, trying to get to the door and away from Tessa.

Jungkook was knocked out of his thoughts, literally, when his classmate bumped into him and pushed him into a desk. Gguk winced as the edge of the table dig into his back before he blinked away his shock. Jungkook swallowed down the bile in this throat as he watched Tessa shove her hands into Melanie's stomach and rip through her flesh while the girl kept screaming in agony.

Jungkook turned around and dashed out of the classroom. His heart pumped in his ears and shallow breaths escaped his chapped lips as he ran through the hallways of the school. His first thought was to get help, get a nurse or something. Someone had to stop Tessa and her uncontrolled anger. Anger. It's.... it was because she was angry, right?

Jungkook stopped running and froze once he noticed the doors to almost every class room open. He took multiple steps towards one of the classrooms and carefully peeked inside.

His hand flew up to his mouth and his breath hitched in his throat. The classroom was completely empty, for the most part. Two bodies littered the ground, their skin pale and bloodied, and their stomaches ripped open, causing their guts to spill out.

Gguk gagged from the scene and the scent of blood invading his nostrils. He quickly turned his eyes away before stumbling out of the room and dashing away.

Panic slowly set in his bones as he quietly walked through the eerie silent halls of the school. His danced all around the hall, preparing for something to jump out and attack him.

Yet nothing did. The halls were completely empty.

** _AAAAHHHHHHHHH!_ **

An ear piercing scream echoed through the halls and pierced Gguk's ears. He began to breathe heavily, debating whether he should follow the scream or run far away from it.

Being the curious idiot he was, Jungkook carefully inched closer to the end of the hallway and peeked over the wall. His eyes immediately latched onto three people standing in the middle of the halfway and a dead body laying on the ground.

Kate, Michael and Rebecca. Rebecca was Kate's best friend, awfully whiny and not that good looking. Kate befriended her because she wanted to look more attractive to the opposite gender, next to Rebecca.

Gguk was about to walk out and reveal himself but he stopped when he noticed Rebecca crying and clutching her blood covered arm.

"Nolan bit me! He bit me! What the hell?!" She cried, snot and tears running down her face while blood poured out of the bite mark on her arm.

Kate and Michael stared at the arm with hostility. Kate had a baseball bat in her shaking hands. The end of the bat was covered in blood and Gguk could see the smashed body of the person laying on the ground.

"I've.... Ive seen movies about zombies and how people get....infected." Michael addresses Kate, even though his eyes didn't leave Rebecca.

Jungkook tensed up, his eyes widening at what Michael had said.

Zombies.

_Infected_.

"What are you talking about?! Help me! I'm literally bleeding out!" Rebecca screamed loudly, her eye squinting into a glare from the lack of help she was receiving. Her hands shook and her bottom lip wobbled as she continued to silently cry.

Jungkook glanced over his shoulder when he heard the sound of feet shuffling from another hallway. He swallow thickly before he looked back at the scene.

Gguk wanted to join them, he was scared of what was happening and he needed someone there with him. Yet something inside him kept him frozen in his place, as if the soles of his shoes had been glued to the tiled floor.

"We can't risk it." Michael muttered to Kate, getting a small nod of agreement in return.

Kate smiled at Becca, a shaky yet reassuring smile,"Don't worry, babe, we'll help you."

As soon as Kate finished speaking, She lifted the bat over her head and slammed it down on Becca's head. A sickening crunch echoed throughout the hall before The girl fell to the ground. A soft gasp left Jungkook's parted lips before he began to gag at the sight he had just witnessed.

Blood pooling out of Rebecca's skull while she blinked and tried to keep her eyes open. Kate inhaled sharply, staring down at her with no emotion while Michael quickly turned his back to them, his eyes wide with shock. Kate heaved as she raised her bat again and smashed it against Rebecca's skull.

Jungkook felt bile travel up his throat as he watched the bat connect against what was left of Rebbeca's skull. His vision became hazy and his emotions numbed as he looked away and fully hid behind the wall. Gguk's trembling hand flew up to his mouth while tears gathered in his eyes.

Gguk gripped onto the locker next to him and pushed off of the wall, shuffling away from the sound of Kate smashing Rebecca's head in. Every time the sound of the bat, smashing against Becca's crushed skull, reached Jungkook's ears, he would flinch away.

The boy slowly and lazily shuffled through the empty halls of the school. His mind was completely blank with shock, images of what just happened replaying in his mind on loop. It was like he was shoved under water, not being able to see or breathe properly. His ears rang and his breathing became laboured.

The boy pushed through the front door of the school, only to freeze when he noticed the....the people feeding on people. Blood coated the pavement, and screams of agony reached his ears as the creatures ripped through his schoolmates.

Gguk quickly shut the door and began to run down the hallway towards the back exit. He realised that he can't just march out of the school like an idiot, he had to sneak out so he wouldn't get eaten like the rest of them.

The more he thought about everything that happened, the more he realised that it might not just be happening at the school. What if the video Sage was watching was the news or something? What if the dude that had scratched Tessa was sick and had inflected Tessa? What if he was infected?

It's okay, Gguk calmed down his breathing as he reached the emergency exit and quietly pushed the door open, the government will fight against the infected. They will release a cure and everything will be alright.

Gguk looked both ways down the alleyway between the school buildings, and when he saw no one, he began to run towards his house. His house wasn't that far away from the school. Luckily, the path he was taking didn't have much exposure and was well hidden between houses.

The brown haired boy swallowed down his nerves, trying not to panic before he reached his home. He knew that a breakdown in an open street would be the cause of his death. Gguk didn't let his eyes wonder around the street, he tried not to think about the crashed cars on the streets or the way his neighbours were running out of their houses, placing stuff in their cars and ushering their children to move faster. He tried not to think about the splotches of blood covering the pavement or the occasional screams that echoed through the neighbourhood.

The boy reached his house, a white, two story building With a playground on the front porch and a pool in the background.

Jungkook ran up the front steps and pulled the door open, knowing that his host family never locked the door. Gguk tensed and froze when he entered the house and saw the state it was in. Tables, chairs and lamps were knocked over and were laying on the ground. Gale's, his host father's, work papers were scattered across the floor, and as he walked further inside, he noticed that the tv was on.

The screen showed a prerecorded cooking show, the woman on there talked and laughed as if nothing was happening. Jungkook stared at the tv, watching as the woman continued to cook her turkey and mashed potatoes. Gguk shivered when a trail of goosebumps traveled all the way up his arms.

His eyes shifted to the floor and he noticed some droplets of blood trailing off to the kitchen. Jungkook bit his lip and quietly walked through the main hall towards the kitchen. His heart pounded in his chest and his hands trembled from fear and adrenaline.

"Mo...Morgan? Gale?" Gguk shakily called out for his host parents, reaching out a trembling hand to push the kitchen door open.

He heard the sound of feet shuffling towards the door and he visibly relaxed, realising that his host family could be alright. He already prepared for the concern Morgan would drown him in as he wrapped his hand around the handle and pulled the door open.

Gguk began to gush, his eyes wide with fear and slight excitement," "Did you se-" Yet as soon as the words left his mouth and the door began to creak open, a caramel coloured hand slammed the door open and someone lunged at the boy.

A loud scream left Jungkook's lips as he was pushed back. He fell down and hit the glass covered ground with a loud thud. Gguk winced at the pain in his back but he quickly recovered when a bloody mouth lunged at his throat. His hands shot up and pushed the creature off of him.

Gguk shot up from the ground and backed up against a wall, staring at the growling woman. His eyes welled up with tears and a choked sob left his lips when he realised who had attacked him,

"Mor...Morgan? No, why...why are you attacking me?" The boy stammered, trying to blink away the tears in his eyes. His throat clogged up and his breathing began to quicken,"Please, please stop."

Morgan quickly stood up from the ground and faced the boy, yet again, lunging towards him. Gguk was quick to press one hand against her shoulder and the other against her forehead, keeping her snapping teeth away from him.

Morgan's once beautiful hazel eyes were now void and lifeless. The whites in her eyes were an ugly red and her beautiful caramel skin was now pale and bloody. Her chin and teeth were covered in scarlet coloured blood and her shoulder had a large chunk missing.

Gguk's breathing became uncontrolled as he struggled to push her away from him. His hands kept trembling and aching while his bottom lip wobbled. Morgan was growling and moaning, snapping her teeth at him while her hands grabbed at his arms and clothes.

"Stop! This isn't funny anymore,"Tears finally escaped Gguk's eyes and rolled down his chubby cheeks before a broken whimpers left his lips and he began to shout at the woman,"This is a horrible joke! You...you got me! Now please....please stop."

The 17 year old cried loudly before releasing a small scream when Morgan lunged forward, nearly sinking her teeth into his bicep. Gguk squeezed his eyes shut before pushing Morgan away from him. The woman flew back and hit the opposite wall with a loud thud.

Before she could get up, Jungkook raised his foot and slammed it down into her stomach. Morgan didn't seem phased by it, causing a crying Jungkook to raise his foot and kick her again. Frustration, anger and fear clouded his mind, making him kick her over and over again. Every time she tried to get up, she was kicked back down again.

Gguk saw that she wasn't affected by it, causing him to turn around and grab an umbrella that was sitting in the corner of the room. Jungkook allowed the tears to roll down his cheeks as he faced his host Mom and stabbed the umbrella through her stomach.

Jungkook could feel the way the umbrella so effortlessly pierced her skin, he could feel it brushing against her organs and coming out of her back. The boy stumbled back in shock and fear when Morgan stood up with an umbrella piercing her stomach. Not an ounce of pain was on her face, only mindless hunger as she reached for Gguk's flesh.

Jungkook allowed an angry shout to leave his chapped lips before he launched forward and pulled the umbrella out of her stomach. He raised it and slammed it through her skull with all the strength he had.

Her body froze and crumbled to the ground, while Jungkook stumbled into the wall behind him and slowly slid down. Gguk's puffy red eyes were attached to Morgan's lifeless body, his lips trembled as tears rolled down his cheeks and landed on his shirt. He brought his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around himself. Finally, he looked away from Morgan's dead body and pressed his face into his knees,

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." The broken whispered left his lips as he rocked back and forth. The events of today kept replaying in his mind and memories of Morgan's kind acts towards him haunted him.

All Jungkook could hope was that the military would come as soon as possible and end this madness. He just wanted to go home.


	3. Old men, whiskey and hope

**|Jungkook|**

**A few months later**

**An 18 year old boy with light brown and ebony colour**ed eyes was trudging through a forest. His clothes were ripped and dirty, covered in blood, sweat and dirt. His brown hair was disheveled and sweaty, and his pale skin was covered with cuts, sweat and dirt.

In his hand, Jungkook was gripping a sharp hunting knife, his knuckles were turning white from how hard he was holding onto it. A small handgun was attached to his narrow hips and On his back, was a black backpack filled with water, amo, A hoodie and some beef jerky.

Jungkook rarely used his gun, soon after the world went to shit, he found out that noise attracts the inflected. So he preferred to use a knife, or any other sharp object he could find. If there was too many infected, he would just sneak around them or simply run away.

Gun was always his last option.

Gguk reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled map. As he continued to inch through the forest, he opened the map and pulled out a red marker.

Jungkook stopped walking for a second and looked down at the map. A town was circled with the red marker, followed by a long line leading across the forest from its left. Gguk pulled the cap of the marker off with his teeth and raised it to draw the line a bit longer.

The sound of growls and leaves crunching reached his ears, causing him to glance up. Gguk sighed and shoved the map back into his pocket, not caring that it got even more crumpled. He pulled the marker's cap out from in between his teeth and closed the marker, shoving it back into his pocket.

An inflected man was stumbling through the woods aimlessly. It's yellow eyes snapped towards Gguk and the growls increased once it noticed him.

The boy raised an unimpressed brow and walked towards the infected. It reached its hands out, trying to grab him, but Gguk was quick to dodge its futile attempts and slam his foot into the back of its knee. The infected growled as it fell to its knees yet it still tried to take a bite out of Gguk.

The boy rolled his eyes and brought the hunting knife down and into its skull, effortlessly killing it. Jungkook turned away and continued his path towards the town.

His main goal was to get in and out of the town without being caught. He was running out of water and food so he needed to gather some supplies. Yet the dead wasn't Jungkook's main worry, he was even more scared to come across the living.

Gguk had come across a group a few months back. He joined them but as time passed, he began to notice their true colours. The people in it had some psychopathic tendencies. They enjoyed killing the dead a bit too much and Gguk had even witnessed them killing off innocent people.

No, it wasn't a gun to the head, they literally stabbed the poor family of 5, to death. It was gruesome and completely disgusting. As soon as that happened, Gguk snuck out at night and left the group. He feared that he might stumble upon a group like that and have the same fate as that family.

Leaves crunched under Jungkook's feet as he pushed past tree branches only to end up behind a small store. Gguk's eyes traveled around and a small smile tugged at his lips when he realised he had come across the town.

Gguk carefully walked to the back of the store and jiggled the door handle. Unfortunately, the door was locked, but as soon as he heard the sound of growls inside, he knew it was for the best.

The boy turned around and walked around the store. He ended up on the Main Street of the small town. Stores were all around him, he just quickly had to choose one and hope for the best.

Gguk walked towards a store that read 'Danny's shoppe'. He pushed past the door and immediately winced when the bell above his head rung. Jungkook slowly entered the shop and raised his knife higher as he waited for an infected to jump out on him.

Silence.

Nothing happened. Gguk warily lowered his knife and walked further into the store. His eyes shifted around the empty shelves and the products littering the ground.

Jungkook pulled off his backpack and bent down. He quickly grabbed the musli bars and the snacks laying on the ground. He stood up and walked to another shelf, smiling slightly when he noticed a can of beans and corn. Gguk grabbed them both and shoved them into his backpack. The boy turned around, water being the only thing on his mind as he looked around the store.

The brown haired boy huffed in disappointment when he didn't find any water. Gguk turned around and walked towards the door. His foot accidentally kicked an empty can of beans, causing it to fly away and hit one of the shelves.

Jungkook froze from the noise and immediately pulled out his knife. He waited patiently for any sort of attack, but nothing happened.

Gguk released a breath of relief and pushed past the door, leaving the store. The boy looked around the street, looking if it was safe to pass. There was 2 or 3 infected roaming the street, but they were far away and if he was quiet enough, he could easily sneak past them.

Gguk carefully snuck past the stores, towards the next grocery store. He successfully avoided alarming the walkers, yet as he was about to run past an alleyway, a bloody hand shot out and grabbed him by his shirt.

Gguk bit his lip to prevent a Yelp from escaping his throat, before he grabbed the infected and pushed it against a wall. Jungkook didn't waste a second to pull out his knife and sink into its rotten head.

The body went limp in his arms, causing Jungkook to stumble back from the weight. Gguk cringed and quietly lowered the body to the ground before straightening out. His clothes were bloodied from the infected, causing him to scrunch up his nose and glare at the dead body.

Gguk released a sharp breath through his nose as he left the alleyway and looked to see if the infected had heard anything. As he glanced around the corner to see if the infected had noticed anything, something latched onto his leg.

A yelp slipped past Jungkook's lips as his leg was pulled back, causing him to stumble into a wall. Gguk turned around and immediately noticed the infected snarling and crawling out from behind a dumpster, Jungkook's leg in its grasp. The infected brought its mouth closer to Gguk's leg, but before it could sink its teeth into his skin, he raised his leg and slammed it down on its head.

A small crack reached Jungkook's ears as its head jerked back and stayed like that. Gguk's face scrunched up in disgust before he pulled his leg out of its grasp and slammed his knife into its skull, making the infected slouch to the ground.

The breath of relief caught in his throat when he heard feet shuffling towards the alleyway he was in. Jungkook looked over his shoulder and his face dropped when he saw a group of 5 infected stumbling into the alleyway.

"Fuck." The curse slipped past his lips before he could stop himself.

Jungkook quickly turned around and ran through the alleyway. He ran out into another street and froze when he saw more infected roaming it. He glanced back over his shoulder and saw the five infected shuffling after him. Jungkook's eyes quickly darted over his surrounding before he noticed a building right next to him.

The brown haired boy quickly walked towards the door and quietly pushed past it. He entered the building and shut the door behind him. Gguk looked through the blinds to see if the infected had noticed anything. Fortunately, they were still mindlessly shuffling around.

The breath of relief, that was about to leave his lips, hitched in his throat when he heard a voice behind him,

"Rough day?"

Gguk quickly pulled out his gun and aimed it at the old man. The man didn't look dangerous but looks can be deceiving. The old man had his back turned to Gguk as he sat at the bar, a glass of whiskey in his hand.

Jungkook swallowed thickly and didn't say anything, he continued to watch the man and his every move. Opposite of Jungkook, the man wasn't covered in blood and grime, he was clean, as if the apocalypse wasn't even happening. Gguk had to take a look around the abandoned bar to reassure himself that the infected outside weren't his imagination.

"Either you shoot me or you lower your gun, son." The old man spoke again, taking a sip of his whiskey.

Gguk took a cautious step towards him, running his tongue over his lips before he spoke,"That'd be pretty stupid of me." His voice was a bit gruff and scratchy from the lack of use but Gguk didn't care.

The man glanced back at the boy, his features turning soft when he noticed how young he was,"You think an old man without a weapon would hurt you?"

"You can never be too sure these days." Gguk muttered, taking another cautious step away from the door, yet his gun was still raised.

The wrinkled man nodded with a small shrug and turned back to face the bar,"How long will you stand there with your gun raised then?"

"Until I can leave."

"Judging by your looks, you are too young to join me for a drink." The old man sent a frowning Gguk a small smile as he took another sip of his whiskey.

The brown haired boy frowned in slight offence,"I'm eighteen." The boy spat before he could stop himself.

The old man hummed quietly and nodded at the bar,"How about some water then?"

Gguk perked up and looked towards the bar, his eyes became wide with hope and excitement. A small smile appeared on the man's face from the sight of the, now, excited boy.

Jungkook tried to hide the look on his face with a small glare. He slowly inched closer to the bar, while still keeping his eyes and gun towards the man,"If you try anything...anything, i won't hesitate to shoot you."

The old man nodded as Gguk lowered his gun ever so slightly and walked around the bar. Gguk kept his eyes on the man, ignoring the broken glass scrunching under his boots. His eyes travelled down and he saw multiple bottles of water, juice and liquor.

Gguk took off his backpack and filled it with water bottles. He zipped it shut and placed it back around his shoulders. The boy looked towards the older man and found him refilling his glass of whiskey.

"Its dangerous to drink in the apocalypse, especially without a weapon. What if an infected stumbled in here or worse, the living." Gguk ranted, a scowl decorating his bloody face. He watched the man drink with a judgmental look before he shook his head and walked towards him.

"It's a good thing you're here then." The old man smiled at Jungkook as he stopped in front of him, the bar working as a barrier between the two.

"I'm Hershel." The man introduced himself, the kind look in his eyes mixing with pain and grief.

Gguk bit his lip, wondering if he should tell the man his name. He realised he had nothing to loose and his name wouldn't make a difference, so he allowed it to slip past his lips,

"Jungkook."

"Interesting, where are you from, Jungkook?" The man raised a curious brown, watching the boy before him.

Gguk still watched Hershel warily as he allowed himself to lean against the counter behind him,"South Korea. Before the world went to shit-"

"Language." Hershel scolded with a stern gaze, causing the boy to frown.

"-I was in America because of an exchange program." Gguk explained with a small shrug. Hershel's kind eyes and relaxed posture made him feel at ease with the man. Something in him told him that Hershel was a good man.

"Why are you drinking anyway?" Gguk wondered out loud, crossing his arms over his chest.

Hershel shrugged, looking down at his glass of whiskey,"Lost some people today."

Gguk's gaze softened and he sent the man a sympathetic look,"I'm sorry."

"It's a part of this world, guess I should get used to it." Hershel shrugged and drank all the whiskey in one go.

"Maybe you should take a small break." Gguk muttered, concern showing through his gaze.

"Maybe," Hershel nodded as he poured himself another glass. The graying man smiled as he sipped on the poison,"Maybe not."

Gguk rolled his eyes and straightened out,"I should leave and you should too. It's gonna get dark soon and this town is full of infected. It's dangerous to stay here." The boy turned around and began to walk away.

"Or maybe you could stay for a few more minutes." Hershel's voice stopped Gguk in his tracks.

Since Jungkook left the psychopath filled group in Atlanta, he hasn't had any human interaction. Only surviving and killing the dead. He, honestly, missed talking to another person without them wanting to kill him. Maybe that's why he so easily trusted and talked to Hershel. Maybe that's why he wanted to stay for a while longer.

"I....Like I said, I should leave and you should too." Gguk shook off the nostalgia and loneliness he felt and straightened out.

The brown haired boy continued to walk towards the door, ignoring Hershel's piercing gaze on his back. Just as Jungkook was about to pull the door open, he heard the sound of an engine. A car drove through the street and stopped right next to the bar.

The boy jerked his hand back as if he was burned and slowly backed away from the door. Gguk immediately pulled out his gun and sent Hershel a pointed look,

"And this exactly why I should've left sooner."

The car engine turned off and Gguk heard two men talking. Their footsteps walked towards the door, causing Gguk to straighten out, take a step back and aim his gun at the door. The boy swallowed thickly, hoping that these men wouldn't see through his bluffing. Because Jungkook would never fire a gun in a town full of infected, much less at a human. He's never killed a human before and he didn't want to start now.

The two men stopped in front of the door before the handle jiggled and the door creaked open. Gguk glared at the two men as they entered the bar, soon freezing when they noticed Jungkook.

They immediately raised their guns, aiming them at Gguk. One of them was Korean, a bit older than Gguk but just as naive and innocent. Jungkook could see the way his eyes lacked the hostility and bloodthirst, instead, he looked kinda scared as he pointed the gun at the living.

The other man was a lot more confident holding a gun, yet the look in his eyes wasn't dangerous. The man had curly hair and a small scruff on his face, his posture made you think like he knew what he was doing.

The man's eyes shifted past Jungkook and towards Hershel. The man took in the scene in front of him and Like a switch had been turned, his posture relaxed and a softer look washed over his face.

"Hershel." The man called out, slowly lowering his gun without taking his eyes off of Gguk.

"Who's with you?" Hershel asked without looking back.

Jungkook's eyes drifted to the other man watching him. Their eyes met, yet Gguk quickly looked back at the older man.

"Glenn. Who's with yo-"

Jungkook cut him off before he could finish speaking,"Jungkook. I would appreciate it if you would move and let me leave."

"I'm Rick, we don't mean you any harm, okay?" Rick spoke calmly and softly like he was talking to an injured animal. This made Gguk slightly annoyed, he rolled his eyes and raised an eyebrow towards the man.

Rick spoke slowly like he was talking to a frightened child,"I'm gonna lower my gun, don't shoot." He won't, he's not stupid. Gguk nearly face palmed himself, why the hell would he shoot?

"I just want you two to step aside and allow me to leave." It was Gguk's turn to mimic the man's way of speech. Rick frowned, while a small snort left Glenn's throat.

Rick sighed and lowered his gun completely, noticing that the calm approach wasn't working on the kid. Glenn followed after Rick and lowered his gun, causing Gguk to lower his.

The three watched each other in silence before Gguk sent them all a false smile and began to march towards the door,

"This was nice, we should do this....mhmmm....never, have a good apocalypse!" Jungkook waved at them as he reached for the door.

"Wait!" Gguk paused and looked back at Glenn with a raised eyebrow,"Do you...do you have a group?"

"No."

"We have a farm- food, water, safety." Gguk's eyes shifted towards Rick and he frowned, starting to debate it.

His mind flashed with the memories of the last group he was with and he quickly shook his head,"No, thank you. I'm better on my own."

Rick stepped forward before Gguk could leave, causing him to tense up and go for his knife. Rick quickly raised his hands, showing that he meant no harm,

"I know you don't know us but nobody can survive on their own. Not in this world,"Rick spoke calmly as he took a step back and nodded at the bar,"If you really didn't want to be here, you would've left no matter what we said. Stop being stubborn, Jungkook, have a seat and let's talk."

Gguk raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit threatened by Rick, but he couldn't deny that Rick was right. He was tired of always sleeping with one eye open, he was tired of having to always look out for himself, he was tired of missing his old life and human contact. The boy just wanted a break from the apocalypse, maybe stumbling into this bar wasn't an accident.

Gguk let out a deep sigh and trudged past the two men. He walked around the bar and stood behind it, leaning against the counter. He glanced in between the three men, watching the scene unfold.

Rick walked up to Hershel and stood next to him,"How many have you had?"

"I've had enough." Hershel shrugged, not sparing Rick a glance.

"Let's finish this back at home,"Rick sighed, leaning down closer to Hershel in order to catch his attention,"Beth collapsed."

"Maggie's with her?" Hershel raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but Beth needs you." Rick explained calmly.

Hershel sighed and took a sip of his whiskey,"What could I do? She needs her mother, or father, to mourn. I see that now."

"You thought there was a cure, can't blame yourself for holding out for hope." Rick smiles ever so slightly, his eyes not leaving Hershel's wrinkled face.

"Hope," The older man smiled before placing his glass on the counter and looking at Rick,"When I first saw you running across my field with your boy in your arms, I had little hope he'd survive."

"But he did."

"He did. Even thought we lost Otis, your man Shane made it back and we saved your boy." Hershel spoke as if he was living through the memories,"That was the miracle that proved to me that miracles do exist, only it was a sham." Hershel looked at Rick with a disappointed frown.

"I was a fool, Rick, and your people saw that." Hershel sighed, looking into his glass,"My daughters deserve better than that."

Hershel gulped down his glass of whiskey, making Gguk raise his brow. He looked in between the three men as Hershel took the bottle and opened it, pouring himself another glass.

Rick rubbed his forehead and took a few steps in Glenn's direction. Gguk noticed the conflicted look on his face as he spoke with Glenn.

"What do we do, wait for him to pass out?" Glenn asked, glancing at Jungkook and Hershel.

"Just go, just go!" Hershel shouted, shaking his head slightly.

Rick frowned and turned towards Hershel,"I promised Maggie that I'd bring you home safe."

Hershel let out a bitter laugh,"Just like you promised that little girl?"

Jungkook's eyes shot up towards Rick and he immediately noticed the look of guilt on his face. For Gguk this was a good sign, caring for his group members, keeping promises, caring for children and guilt. It was all a sign that these people were good, well, as good as you can be in the apocalypse.

A new wave of determination washed over Rick's features as he marched towards Hershel,"So what's your plan? Finish that bottle? Drink yourself to death and leave your girls alone?"

Hershel jumped up from his stool and walked up to Rick,"Stop telling me how to care for my family, my farm! You people are like a plague! I do the Christian thing and give you shelter, and you destroy it all!"

"The world was already in a bad shape when we met." Rick glared at Hershel, clenching his fists.

"And you take no responsibility! You're supposed to be their leader!" Hershel shouted, pointing his finger at Rick.

"WELL IM HERE NOW! Aren't I?!" Rick yelled back, pointing at himself.

"Yes," Hershel nodded, a lot calmer than before. He turned around and walked back to his seat,"Yes, you are."

"Come on, your girls need you now, more than ever." Rick walked up to Hershel and gently took his hand.

Hershel ripped his hand away from Rick's and looked at him,"I didn't want to believe you. You told me that there was no cure, that these people were dead, not sick. I chose not to believe that! But when Shane shot Lu in the chest and she just kept coming, that's when I knew what'd an ass I'd been,"Gguk looked away, feeling bad for the old man when he heard the pain and shame in his voice,"They were dead a long time ago and I was feeding their rotten corpses!," Hershel breathed heavily before softly muttering,"That's when I knew there was no hope."

"And when that little girl came out of that barn, the look on your face, I knew you knew it too. Right? There is no hope and you know it now, like I do, don't you?" Hershel stared at Rick, who looked away from him, not saying anything.

Gguk stared at Rick, waiting to see what he'll say to Hershel and his lack of hope. Yet Rick kept quiet and didn't say anything, confirming Hershel's words.

Jungkook scoffed, catching the attention of all three men in the room,"That's bullshit and you know it," Gguk glared at Hershel as he spoke. Rick didn't say anything, allowing the boy to continue,"Ever since the world went to shit and I was all alone, confused and terrified of what was happening,"Jungkook pushed off of the counter, he was leaning on, and walked towards Hershel, he placed his hands on the counter in front of Hershel and leaned closer to the older man."When I saw people feeding on people and the living slaughtering each other, the only thing that kept me going, that kept me alive.....was hope."

"Hope is real. So don't go around telling people that its not because maybe you have given up on it," Jungkook pointed at Hershel, his face twisting into annoyance and anger,"but others haven't. Hope is there to keep them going, to keep them alive, And who are you to tell someone, who needs a bit of hope in this fucked up world, that it's not real?"

Jungkook released a scoff and straightened out. He crossed his arms over his chest, glancing at Rick and Glenn before settling his eyes back on Hershel,"This isn't about you anymore, this is about the people around you and they need hope to keep living."

Jungkook huffed in frustration, running a hand through his dirty locks,"Damn." Glenn, who was watching the whole scene unfold muttered under his breath.

Rick nodded, pressing his tongue against his cheek as he gathered his thoughts,"People back home need hope, even if it's just to give them a reason to go on. This is about them." Rick finished and the three watched Hershel's actions.

The older man nodded, a new wave of determination and hope shooting through him as he finished his glass of whiskey and pushed it away. Jungkook cheered in his head before he grabbed the bottle of whiskey and chucked it at one of the walls.

The glass hit the wall and shattered into pieces, while Gguk bit his lip to stop himself from grinning. He looked at the other three males in the room and found them all staring at him. Rick with a raised eyebrow, Glenn with wide eyes and Hershel with furrowed brows.

"What? Just had to make sure." The boy shrugged as he jumped over the counter and stood next to Rick who released a small sigh.

Just as the group were about to leave the bar, the door swung open and in came two men. Jungkook immediately tensed and reached for his gun, while the two newcomers shared a smirk,

"Son of a bitch, they're alive."


	4. The road to Nebraska

**|Jungkook|**

** Jungkook never allowed his eyes to leave the two m**en as one of them sat at a table in a bar and the other one at the counter. Rick poured the thinner one a drink while he introduced himself,

"I'm Dave. The scrawny looking douchebag is Tony." Dave pointed towards the bigger guy who had a hat on his head.

Tony snickered under his breath,"Eat me, Dave."

"Hey, maybe some day I will. We met on i-95 coming out of philly. Damn shit show that was." Dave smiled slightly, picking up his shot. Jungkook kept quiet and didn't say anything, only watched the interaction between the two.

Rick came back over to where Gguk was leaning against the counter, in front of Glenn and on the right side of Hershel. He stood next to him and poured himself a shot.

Jungkook didn't look away from the two men, not feeling the same vibe he received from Rick and his people. His gut was telling him that he should watch out, and his gut was always right.

Gguk's shoulders were tense and squared, his eyes were squinted into a hostile glare and his face didn't soften. Not for a second. Dave glanced up at Gguk, thinking that the boy would look away once he was caught staring. But he didn't. Dave's smile faltered slightly before he looked away, causing Jungkook to smirk.

"I'm Glenn, it's nice to meet some new people." Glenn introduced himself, wearing a small grin. The poor guy didn't even notice the tension in the room.

"I'm Rick Grimes." Rick introduced himself, finally noticing Gguk's glares.

Rick sneakily elbowed the boy, catching his attention. Jungkook looked at Rick with furrowed eyebrows, only to receiving a look in return. Gguk furrowed his eyebrows even more, his nose scrunching up slightly. Rick noticed the boy's confusion and shook his head, turning away from him.

"How about you, pal, you want one?" Dave turned towards Hershel addressing him.

"I just quit." Hershel was quick to shoot him down.

Dave smiled at him, yet Gguk squinted his eyes at it,"You have an unique sense of timing, my friend."

"Kid? How about you?" Dave's eyes shifted to Jungkook as he raised his glass towards him.

Gguk didn't look away from him as he crossed his arms over his chest and ran his tongue over his chapped lips,"I don't drink."

Dave and Gguk didn't break their eye-contact after he spoke, causing the tension in the room to rise yet again.

"His name's Hershel and this is Jungkook. We lost people today." Rick explained calmly, trying to ease the atmosphere.

"I'm truly sorry to hear that. To better days and new friends, and to our dead, may they be in a better place."

Everyone, except Hershel and Jungkook, raised their shots and downed their liquor. As Dave reached out to put his glass away, Gguk caught a glimpse of his gun in his waistband,

"Not bad Huh?" Dave pulled the gun out, causing Jungkook to straighten out his back,"Got it off a cop."

"I'm a cop." Rick stated, his face hardening.

"This one was already dead." Dave shrugged, putting it back into place.

Jungkook forced himself to relax and not show that he was as tense around the two. His gaze drifted over to Tony, and he was momentarily caught off guard when he saw Tony already watching him.

A smirk tugged on Tony's lips before he allowed his eyes to travel down Gguk's body. The boy swallowed down the bile in his throat and looked away, clenching his jaw.

"You fellas are a long way from Philadelphia." Rick commented, sitting down on a bar stool.

Tony grinned widely, answering to Rick's comment,"Feels like we're a long way from anywhere."

"What drove you south?" Jungkook spoke up, his gaze shifting between them both.

A small smirk/smile appeared on dave's face as he answered,"I can tell you it wasn't the weather, I dropped 30 pounds alone down here."

"I wish." Tony scoffed with an eye roll.

"At first it was D.C. Heard there might be some refuge camp. But the roads were so jammed, we never really got close. Decided to get off the highways, into the sticks, keep hauling ass. Every group we came across had a new rumour about a way out of this thing."

"One guy told us it was a coast guard- centre in the gulf, sending ferries to the islands." Tony had an amused smile on his face as he told the group. Gguk glanced back at Rick before he looked at Dave, deciding to keep his eyes on the two men instead.

Dave continued to speak, seeing as no one was going to stop him"The latest was a railyard in Montgomery, running trains to the middle of the country- Kansas, Nebraska."

Glenn perked up, a wide smile spreading across his face,"Nebraska?"

Tony nodded, glancing at him,"Low population, lots of guns."

"Kinda makes sense." Glenn muttered, a bit quieter this time.

"Ever been to Nebraska, kid?" Dave asked Glenn before his eyes shifted down to his hands,"The reason why they call 'em fly over states."

Dave looked back up at the group, his eyes running over them,"What about you, guys?"

Gguk didn't say anything, not wanting to put the group in danger. He bit his lower lip, chewing on it for a second before releasing it and running his tongue over it.

"Fort Benning, eventually." Rick answered after a few seconds, his facial expression calm and collected.

Dave and Tony shared a look before glancing at Rick with pitiful looks,"I'm not pissing in your confakes, officer, but um....came across a grunt who was stationed at Benning. He said the place was overrun by lamebrains."

Glenn looked up at the two with wide eyes, his expression dropping into a look of disbelief,"Wait Fort Benning is gone? Are you for real?"

"Sadly, I am,"Dave hung his head for a second before glancing back up at the group,"Ugly truth is, there is no way out of this mess. Just keep going to one pipe dream to the next, praying one of these mindless freaks doesn't grab a hold of you when you sleep." Dave mumbled dejectedly, his hand inching towards the bottle.

"If you sleep." Tony piped in, his eyes fully focused on Gguk. The boy was trying not to react to the obvious provocation tactic but Tony was really asking to be castrated.

Jungkook clenched his jaw and glared down at the dusty floor. He pressed his back harder against the counter behind him and dug his nails into his palms, trying to control his anger. But the boy was known to be quite impulsive, so if Tony provoked him enough, Gguk's gonna grab the bottle in his hand and shove it down his throat.

A small smirk tugged at his lips once he imagine Tony chocking on the bottle.

The boy looked up from the floor, towards Dave as he spoke,"Yeah, it doesn't look like you guys are hanging your hats here. You holed in somewhere else?"

"Not really." Rick spoke calmly, his face not betraying a single emotion.

Dave nodded slightly before pointing at the front of the bar,"Those your cars up front?"

"Yeah, why?" Glenn asked innocently, not noticing the direction the conversation was going. Gguk looked at Glenn over his shoulder and sent him a look with his eyes, but judging by the confusion on Glenn's face, he didn't understand.

"We're living in ours. Those look kinda empty, clean. Where's all your gear?" Dave wondered, his brows furrowing in false confusion.

Hershel spoke up, his voice stern,"We're with a larger group, out scouting, thought we could use a drink."

"A Drink? Hershel, I thought you quit." Dave let out an amused chuckle as he stared at Hershel.

"Well, we're thinking of setting up around here, is it safe?" Dave asked the group, his eyes momentarily connecting with Gguk's dark ones.

The boy shrugged before speaking,"I've been to Brooks before, not as much infected as here and the weather isn't as warm. The perfect place to settle." The lies slipped through Jungkook's teeth like butter. His face didn't give anything away as he stared right at Dave when he spoke.

"Infected? Is that what you call 'em?" Dave raised an eyebrow while a smirk appeared on his lips.

Gguk hummed as Dave nodded and looked back at Tony,"I like that, it's a lot better than lamebrains."

Tony nodded and commented yet again,"More succinct."

"Okay," Dave sent Tony an amused look,"Tony went to college."

"Two years." Tony nodded proudly, a small grin forming on his face.

Silence fell over the bar when nobody said anything. Gguk watched, slightly disturbed, as Dave and Tony continued to smile before sharing a look. The brown haired boy clenched his jaw, releasing a deep sigh before turning his gaze away from the two.

"So what.."Dave broke the silence, his eyes drifted from Tony and back to Rick as he cleared his throat and continued to speak,"So what, you guys set up on the outskirts or something? The new development?" Dave nodded to somewhere outside the bar.

Tony slowly stood up from his stool and walked towards the opposite wall,"trailer park or something?"

As Tony passed Jungkook, he allowed himself to brush against the boy. Jungkook tensed as he felt Tony's belly brush against his own stomach and he clenched his jaw when his felt Tony's fingertips brush against his arm. Tony's eyes trailed down Jungkook's body before he shot the boy a wink.

Gguk clenched his jaw and inhaled deeply, he didn't breathe for a few second before releasing his breath harshly. Jungkook licked his lip and looked towards Dave as he spoke,

"A farm?" Dave wondered, trying to get a reaction out of one of them. Dave's eyes shifted to Tony when he began to sing. Rick looked at him too, while Gguk's eyes didn't wander away from Dave,"Old McDonald had a farm.." Tony snickered under his breath once he heard the song, causing him to hum along.

Dave's head snapped away from Tony and towards Rick,"You have a farm?" He asked seriously, not a hint of smile visible on his face.

Gguk visibly cringed when he heard the sound of Tony's urine hitting the wooden tiles. He really wished the man had gone outside, yet it wasn't because of his disgusting actions. Gguk hoped that an infected would hear him and latch onto his dick, successfully bitting it off.

"Is it safe? It's gotta be. You got food? water?" Dave raised an eyebrow, his eyes staring at Glenn and Hershel, since they were the ones who showed their emotions a bit more.

"You got cooze? Hadn't had a peace of ass in weeks." Tony snickered while glancing at Jungkook over his shoulder. Rick saw this and stepped closer to the younger boy. He sent Tony a dangerous glare, causing him to stop smiling and look away.

Dave noticed this and quickly interjected before the group's leader would become hostile towards them,"Listen, pardon my friend. City kids- they have no tact. No disrespect." Dave sent Tony a pointed look, causing him to look away and finish up.

"So listen, Glen-" Dave quickly changed the subject and turned his attention towards Glenn.

"We've said enough." Rick interrupted him before he could manipulative answers out of Glenn.

Dave bit the side of his cheek and spoke quickly,"Well, hang on a second, This....this farm. It sounds sweet, don't it sound sweet, Tony?"

"Yeah, real sweet." Tony nodded, walking further into the room, towards Dave.

"Yeah, show some little southern hospitality." Dave tried to act like a kicked puppy, but Gguk saw right through his act.

"I'm from Korea, drinks in a bar is the best you'll get." Gguk spoke up, his voice cold as ice and his eyes hostile as he glanced in between the two men,"Enjoy your drink because as soon as that bottle is empty, we'll go our separate ways."

Dave clenched his jaw before he forced himself to relax and lean more into his chair,"I don't see why you can't make a room for a few more. We can pool our resources, our man power"

"I'm sorry but that's not an option." Rick quickly shot down his offer.

Tony stared at the group with wide eyes filled with surprise, before he looked at Dave for instructions. Dave pressed his tongue against his cheek as he looked down at the floor, his mind running with ways to get what he wants.

"Doesn't sound like It'd be a problem." Dave muttered quietly, swallowing thickly before looking up at Rick.

Hershel spoke up, his voice softer than Rick's or Jungkook's,"I'm sorry, we cant."

"We can't take in anymore." Rick said unapologetically, and for a second, Jungkook wondered why did he want Gguk to join them a few minutes back. Did he know that these people were not good men? Did he see that Jungkook was?

"You guys are something else,"Dave looked away and let out a small chuckle. He rubbed his forehead as he thought for a second,"I thought- I thought we were friends."

Jungkook scoffed, rolling his dark eyes in the process,"What's your definition of friends? Someone you met an hour back? If so, I'm surprised you're still breathing." The boy sent the two a vicious snare, receiving a smirk from Dave.

"We got people we gotta look out for too,"Dave looked at Rick, his eyes serious and even slightly sad,"You have no idea what'd we had to do out there. I bet you had to do some of those same things yourself, am I right?" Dave questioned. Seeing that Rick was quiet, he decided to continue his speech,"cause Ain't nobody's hands clean in what's left of this world. We're all the same." Dave finished talking yet his eyes looked into all of theirs. Gguk glared when Dave looked at him, before the boy's gaze dropped down to the floor.

After a few seconds, a smile lit up Dave's face and he visibly perked up,"So come on, let's take a nice, friendly hayride to this farm and we'll get to know each other."

Jungkook looked at Rick, hoping that this man wasn't a fool and didn't fall for Dave's mind tricks. Rick looked back at Dave, completely unfazed as he raised his glass,"That's not gonna happen."

A tiny smirk tugged on Gguk's lips at Rick's answer, making him look at Dave smugly. Dave clenched his jaw at the sight before looking at Rick with badly hidden anger in his eyes,

"Ric-"

"This is bullshit." Tony cut Dave off, his cheeks slowly becoming red in anger

Rick looked at him with a small glare, yet his voice was completely calm when he spoke,"calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down! Don't ever tell me to calm down!" Tony snapped at Rick, his eyes blazing with anger. Jungkook tensed up and slowly unfolded his arms from his chest. He pushed off of the counter, just as Rick stood up from his chair,"I'll shoot you four assholes and take the damn thi-"

"Woah, woah, woah, woah!" Dave quickly interrupted Tony before he could destroy their plans even more,"Relax, take it easy, nobody's killing anybody." Dave smiled, shooting Tony a dangerous look. He looked at Rick and patted him on the back before turning around and jumping over the counter.

Jungkook's eyes didn't leave Tony, knowing that he could blow up any second and shoot a bullet through their skulls. He quickly glanced at Rick, only to find his eyes already on him. Rick gave Gguk a look with his eyes, and this time he understood. It was hard to miss it. Rick wanted him to watch Tony while he handled Dave.

Rick turned to face Dave, while Gguk acted as if he relaxed, yet his attention was fully placed on Tony.

Dave grabbed his gun, and like a chain reaction, Rick grabbed his, Tony grabbed his and Gguk grabbed his. Dave slowly slid his out of his waistband and placed it on the counter, causing Rick to slowly let go of his gun.

"We're just friends having a drink. That's all." Dave sent Rick a fake smile, raising his hands up in surrender,"Now! Where's the good stuff? Good stuff, good stuff." Dave reached under the counter, making Rick grab his gun.

Dave smiled slightly before lifting up a bottle of whiskey,"Hey, look at that. That'll work." Rick slowly released his gun as Dave poured himself another drink,"You gotta understand, we can't stay out there. You know what's it like."

"Yeah, I do." Gguk muttered, yet his eyes didn't stray from Tony, who still had his hand on his gun. This was enough for Jungkook to keep his hand on his own gun.

"The farm is crowded as it is, I'm sorry." Rick spoke after Gguk's small comment. His eyes were piercing right through Dave's nervous ones,"You have to keep looking."

"Keep looking,"Dave chuckled bitterly, his gaze moving away from Rick's intimidating one,"Where do you suggest we do that?"

Gguk allowed himself to smirk as he glanced at Dave over his shoulder,"I heard Nebraska's nice."

Dave chuckled at Gguk's comment,"Nebraska," his eyes shifted from the boy, to Rick,"This Guy."

Dave's smile quickly slipped from his face and his eyes dropped down to his gun. Dave grabbed his gun but before he could raise it, Rick already fired his. The bullet shot Dave straight through his skull, causing his body to fall back and hit the floor.

As soon as Jungkook heard Rick pull out his gun, and saw Tony raise his own, Jungkook pulled out his knife and aimed it at Tony. He didn't even think twice before lunging forward and sinking the sharp blade into Tony's stomach. Tony let out a sharp gasp as Jungkook pulled the knife harshly to the right, slashing Tony's stomach open.

Tony's body jerked back, Gguk pulled the knife out of his bleeding stomach, causing Tony's to fall back into the wall behind him and slowly slide down. His gun fell limply by his side and his eyes became lifeless. Rick turned around and marched towards Tony's dead body, he raised his gun and shot him through the skull.

Jungkook looked away from Tony, he felt a bit lightheaded at the fact that he ended a human's life. He blinked away the shock and shakily cleaned his bloody knife against the sleeve of his jacket. A thin layer of sweat coated Gguk's skin and his vision became a bit dizzy as he tried to focus on cleaning his knife.

Even thought Jungkook didn't like Tony, he didn't want to actually kill him. Jungkook didn't want to kill anybody. Maybe it was because he thought that killing someone would destroy the last pieces of innocence he had left. Or maybe it was because he didn't want to view himself as a murderer.

And now, after taking someone's life, Jungkook felt sick to his stomach. He felt like his hands were tainted with blood that couldn't be washed away with the purest water. He felt like he was tainted for the rest of his life. Like his innocence had been shattered and a piece of him had been chipped away, never to be seen again.

Jungkook bit his wobbling lip and blinked away the tears in his eyes. He clenched his shaking hand around the handle of the knife and released a deep sigh.

Rick noticed the sudden change in the boy and came to a quick realisation that he hadn't killed anyone before. The sheriff placed a hand on Gguk's shoulder, causing him to jump at the contact and snap his head towards Rick.

"Don't think about it, you did what you had to do." Rick whispered before pulling his hand away from Gguk's shoulder.

Jungkook shifted his eyes away from Tony's dead body before giving Rick a small nod.


	5. Guns bullets and idiots

**|Jungkook|**

**The few hours Jungkook had spent in a room full of ten**sion and whiskey, ended with the light of day disappearing and darkness taking over. The bar had originally been dark, the result of the dirty windows and the curtains preventing the light from entering. But when the sun went down, Gguk had to let his eyes adjust so that he could see properly.

"Holy shit." Glenn breathed out as he came up beside Gguk, and stared down at the lifeless body of Tony.

Rick looked at Glenn, his lips forming into a straight line,"You were right."

Jungkook glanced in between the two, wondering if he'd miss something. The boy wasn't that stupid, well, his grades weren't the greatest, average, at best. But in Gguk's mind, grades didn't determine your intelligence. Maybe it was just an excuse for his grades, but he was always better at doing things that involved real life situations, rather than solving math problems.

So when these two men, he met a few hours prior, shared a few sentences he didn't understand, caused him to feel stupid and lef- wait, what if he miss-heard what Rick said? What if he didn't say 'you were right', what if he said something else? But what did Rick say?

Jungkook pouted at the thought, wondering what the cop could've said. His dark eyes were unfocused as he stared off in space, completely oblivious to his surroundings. The group finished their conversation and were about to leave, until they finally noticed the daydreaming boy.

"Jungkook, lets go." Rick gently nudged him as he walked past the boy towards the exit.

The said boy snapped out of his thoughts and looked up with owlish eyes. He was quick to catch up with the other three and walk alongside Glenn, who sent him a shaky grin.

Before they could even come close to the door, the lights of a car flashed over the building, followed by the sound of an engine.

"Car! Car!" Rick whispered, stating the obvious.

Gguk, along with the rest, quickly ran towards the door and ducked behind one of the walls next to it. The boy released an unnecessary breath of annoyance before rolling his eyes and giving Rick a look that read 'Really? I never noticed.'

A tense silence brushed over his shoulders once he heard the car turn back and stop right in front of the bar. Jungkook's hand slowly inched towards his gun and he carefully pulled it out, trying to make as little noise as possible.

Even though he hated wasting bullets and using a gun in general, he will do so if the situation required. He won't go into a gun fight with a knife. Yet he couldn't deny that his hands trembled as he held the weapon. His fingers tightened around the gun, turning his knuckles white.

The car's engine turned off before a few men stepped out, Gguk couldn't be sure how many. The only sound that reached his ears were Glenn's shaky breaths and his heart beating against his rib cage.

Jungkook swallowed thickly and licked his lower lip in the process- a nervous habit he'd developed over the past few months.

"Dave? Tony?" A man quietly called out, trying not to attract the wrong kind of attention.

Gguk's shoulders tensed at the names and his eyes flickered over the two dead bodies laying in their own pool of blood. Jungkook squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds before opening them and looking at Rick for instructions.

Rick looked back at Gguk and slowly raised his finger up to his lips, gesturing for him to be quiet. Jungkook returned his gesture with a quick nod before looking away.

"I'm telling you, man, I heard shots." Another guy stated, yet his voice sounded younger and lighter.

Jungkook sighed quietly, blocking out the strangers' whispers, as his stiff fingers kept clenching and unclenching around the gun in his palm. Gguk ran his tongue over his two front teeth, huffing for a second, when he remembered his two front bunny teeth. His thoughts quickly washed away and he wondered when was the last time he actually brushed his teeth. What if they were yellow or completely brown or had holes in them? What if his mouth always smelled like shit when he talked?

Jungkook's thoughts were swatted away like an annoying fly, that crawled across your skin while you were trying to sleep, Once he heard the sound of footsteps coming closer to the bar. His head shot up and his breath hitched in his throat. Jungkook's eyes latched onto the silhouette of a man against the door.

"Dude, I said stay close!" Someone hissed, causing the guy to jerk his hand back and turn away.

The guy quickly caught up to his friend, disappearing from sight. Gguk's shoulders sagged in momentary relief and he was able to properly suck in a breath without fearing they might hear him.

After countless of minutes crouching down against a wall with aching thighs, wondering when the men will leave, Rick stood up. Jungkook watched as he peeled open the curtains in front of a window and peeked outside. Gguk raised his eyebrow when Rick crouched back down and shifted closer to the group.

"Why won't they leave?" Glenn whispered quietly, his brows furrowed in confusion.

Hershel raised an eyebrow,"Would you?"

"We can't stay here any longer, if they're looking through every single shop, they'll eventually find us." Gguk spoke up, catching the attention of all three males.

Rick eyed him for a second before addressing him,"Have you been to this town before?"

"No?" Gguk answered questioningly, before his eyes lit up and he reached his hand into his jacket's pocket,"But I have a map!" Gguk whispered with wide eyes as he pulled out his crumpled map.

Rick sent him a small nod as he took the map from him and opened it. Rick's eyes skimmed over the map and the markings Gguk left on it, before he looked where the bar was located. Rick tried to see if there was a back exit, even though every building had one.

Gguk watched as Rick thought of what to do before closing the map and giving it back to him. Jungkook took the map and shoved it back into his pocket, scrunching up his nose at the crinkling sound it made.

Hershel's lips tugged up, seeing the clear signs of innocence on the boy. He could only hope this world wouldn't destroy him like it had so many others.

Jungkook's soft expression dropped into a blank one when he heard the sound of gunshots not far from the bar. Soon after, he heard the faint sound of footsteps before voices reached his ears,

"What happened?"

"Roamers, I nailed them."

"They've disappeared but their car is still there."

"I cleared those buildings, did you guys get this one?"

"No."

"Me neither."

"We're looking for Dave and Tony, and no one checks the damn bar?"

Jungkook sucked in a sharp breath and gripped his gun tighter. He bit his lip while listening to the three men swiftly approaching the bar. When they were closer, he pressed his back harder against the wall behind him and aimed the gun at the door, ready to shoot.

When the handle twisted and the door squeaked open, Gguk was about to shoot. But at the last second, Glenn jumped forward and pushed the door shut, leaning his back against it.

Jungkook's shoulders dropped and his face scrunched up at the move. He lowered his gun and ran his free hand over his sweaty face, rubbing his forehead for a second,

"Someone pushed that shut, there's someone in there."

Gguk looked up, competently unimpressed, knowing that these men won't let them go. Not when they find out what happened to Dave and Tony.

"Yo, someone in there?" One of the guys called out. Rick chewed on his lip, the creaks in his forehead increasing as his face twisted due to frustration,"If someone's in there, we don't want no trouble! We're just looking for our friends!"

Rick still didn't say anything, thinking of ways to approach the situation better. Glenn's shoulders were tense and shallow breaths left his lips as he pressed against the door with all his strength. Hershel gripped his gun tighter, his eyes flickering from each person in the room, but mainly staying on Rick.

Jungkook took calm, long breaths, trying to push away the fear creeping up his spine and wrapping around his mind. His tongue darted out of his mouth and moistened his dry lips.

"We don't want any trouble! We're just looking at our friends, if something happened, tell us." The voice paused before continuing,"This place is crawling with corpses, if you help us not get killed, we'd appreciate it!"

There's no way they would just let them go, even if they didn't have anything to do with Dave and Tony. Gguk knew people like Dave and Tony, and if these men were in a group with Dave and Tony, it meant they were the same as them. It meant their guns would be raised and bullets would be fired.

Gguk's onyx coloured eyes drifted towards Rick and he saw him running his hand over his face. He rubbed his nose before visibly cringing.

"Dude, you're bugging, nobody's in there."

"They're in there, they might know where Dave and Tony are."

Gguk slouched against the wall, his eyes focusing on the dust covered tiles. He wondered what will happen, how will they get out of this situation? But he was even more curious about what would happen after this situation was resolved.

"They drew on us!"

Jungkook's head jerked up and he stared at Rick in complete shock. His pouty lips parted slightly and a quiet noise of shock escaped his throat. His nose quickly scrunched up before he pinched the bridge of it. Gguk's body lazily slouched against the wall as his gun hung between his fingers.

"Dave and Tony in there? They alive?"

Heck no! Those two assholes are dead. But for survivals sake, say yes.

"No!"

Gguk nearly grabbed a bottle of whiskey and shoved it down his throat before banging his head against a wooden table.

"Let's go."

"No, I'm not leaving. I'm not gonna go back and tell them that Dave and Tony got shot by some assholes in a bar!"

"YOUR FRIENDS DREW ON US! They gave us no choice!" Rick shouted back as soon as he heard the guy talk. The anger and frustration was clear in his voice but he used it as a tactic of intimidation,"I'm sure we've all lost enough people! Done..done things we wished we didn't have to...but....but it's like that now, you know that! So let's just chalk this up to what it was- wrong place, wro-"

Before Rick could finish his speech, the men outside began firing their guns at the bar. To avoid being shot, Jungkook quickly ducked as close to the ground as possible

The noise from the guns pierced right through Gguk's ears and jabbed him in the skull, causing him to physically wince. Sweaty strands of brown hair fell in front of his face as his eyes shot back to look at the door. He could see bullets pierce through the walls and the door of the bar, creating permanent holes. The glass in the door had been shot and successfully shattered, causing shards of glass to fall and sprinkle across the floor.

Rick shot up from his crouching position and began firing his gun, shooting through the broken window. His eyes flickered towards the other three and he shouted at them over the gun fire,"Go! Get out of here!"

Jungkook's grip on the gun tightened before he pushed off of the dirty floor and stood up. Glenn and Hershel jumped up and ran further into the bar, while simultaneously trying to dodge the bullets. Gguk scrambled after them, his shoulders hunched over and his head ducked down.

Glenn ducked behind an old piano, his eyes were wide open and his breathing was shallow. Glenn's legs were pushed against his chest and his back was pressed against the side of the piano. The poor guy looked like he would have a panic attack.

Hershel, on the other hand, tried to reign in his emotions a bit more. Of course he was scared, yet he tried not to act like it. He quickly found his way behind a small, wooden table.

Jungkook was quick to dive behind a wall, his small form fitting perfectly. He pressed his back tightly against the wall and leaned his head against it. The grip on his gun tightened and small beads of sweat rolled down his temple as he listened to the gunshots echoing throughout the air.

Hershel's head appeared from around the table and he slid his shotgun across the floor, towards Glenn. In return, Glenn was quick to snatch the weapon and press it against his chest.

The gunshots stopped, much to Gguk's relief, causing an eerie silence to fall over the bar like a blanket of snow covering the ground.

Jungkook peered around the wall and his eyes flickered from Rick, to Glenn, to Hershel, before stopping back at Rick. He watched as the sheriff emptied his gun, causing the shells of empty bullets to fall to the ground.

"Hey! We all know this is not gonna end well! There's nothing in it for any of us!" Rick shouted, addressing the men outside, yet as he did this, he was quickly reloading his empty gun,"You guys just....just back off and no one else gets hurt."

Just as Rick finished talking and reloading his gun, a crush came from the back door of the bar. Jungkook's head snapped in the direction and his gun instinctively raised. His pink tongue darted out of his mouth and brushed against his lips while his eyes squinted at the door.

Glenn shot up from the ground and darted across the room, towards the back door. He pushed open the door and stuck his gun through the crack before his body followed in suit.

"Shit." Jungkook cursed under his breath before pushing off the wall and marching towards the back door.

He peaked through the door before pulling it open and slipping inside. A large room, full of decorations, spare tables and other useless stuff, greeted him. Gguk's eyes flickered around the dark, squinting slightly to see better, his nose scrunched up when dust invaded his nostrils, nearly causing him to sneeze.

Jungkook's eyes focused on Glenn, who was creeping through the room, his gun raised and ready to shoot. Gguk carefully placed his foot on the wooden steps in front of him, visibly cringing at the loud creaking sound that came from underneath him.

The boy's Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed before he continued to step down the creaky stairs. His onyx coloured eyes were focusing on the back door the entire time. Gguk's shoulders tensed even more and his lips pulled up into a snarl when he heard the sound of a glass bottle being accidentally kicked.

Jungkook stood behind Glenn, his hands gripping the gun in his palm and his eyes focusing on the back door. Sweat formed on his forehead, dampening his hair and making it appear darker than it is. His shoulders ached from how tense and strained his muscles were.

The breath in Jungkook's throat hitched when he saw the handle to the door twisting. Without thinking, Glenn raised his gun and shot at the door, successfully breaking the glass.

"Glenn?! Jungkook?!" Rick yelled from the other room, his voice filled with panic and worry.

The emotion in Rick's tone as he said Jungkook's name, caused him to freeze. It had been a long time since someone had showed concern towards him. It felt weird and unusual, yet he couldn't help but let the pang of loneliness and nostalgia hit him once he remembered the way his name used to be said with so much warmth and love.

"W....We're alright! We're alright!" Glenn's distant voice reached his sensitive ears, causing him to blink and look away from the broken window of the door.

Jungkook's onyx eyes jumped over to Glenn and he watched him press his back against a wall, just in case. Gguk sighed, lowering his gun and rubbing his stinging eyes. The poor boy hadn't had a proper sleep in weeks, the last time being when he was in a run-down motel, safely locked away in the closet of one of the rooms.

Jungkook blinked a few times before lazily dragging them towards Glenn, who was practically trembling as he aimed the gun at the door. Gguk sighed, knowing that the men weren't there anymore, well, maybe they were but they won't attack. Not directly. At least he hoped so.

A floor board behind Jungkook creaked before a hand latched onto his shoulder. The said boy jumped, his free hand swiftly pulling out his army knife and swinging at the person.

Hershel, who had been the one to approach the two young men, was lucky enough to jerk his head back before Gguk could shove a dagger in it. Hershel's brows raised and his eyes were blown wide before he shook away his shock and became neutral again.

A sheepish smile appeared on Jungkook's small lips as the boy put away his dagger and let out an awkward cough.

"Sorry." Jungkook let the barely audible whisper slip past his lips, hoping it would go unheard.

And it did.

Hershel turned towards Glenn, running his eyes over his sweating and trembling body before addressing him,"Rick wants you to try for the car."

"Try?" Glenn sent him a look of disbelief while Gguk looked in between the two, a bit confused. Okay, I'll admit, Jungkook wasn't the brightest and it took him a bit more time to put pieces together but that's quite alright.

"You'll try and succeed,"Hershel nodded, determination swirling in his eyes. He turned his head towards a confused Jungkook, which caused the boy to wash the look off his face and straighten out, as if he knew what was happening. When in reality, he was really, really, confused,"We'll cover you."

Jungkook's brown furrowed and his nose scrunched up. Cover him? With what? Blankets? A garbage can, so he could sneak out? Yet when Glenn's eyes shifted to him, the confusion filled look on his face disappeared and Jungkook gave him a few frantic nods, trying to convince him.

"This is a great plan." Glenn grumbled sarcastically, his breathing still a bit rapid and uneven. He turned around and made his way to the back door, his steps a bit slow and his back hunched over.

Jungkook took cautious steps after Glenn, his eyes wide and alarmed. He walked closer to the wall, next to the door, and pressed his back against it. Gguk bit his lip, watching as Glenn pushed the double doors open with a loud squeak.

Hershel and Jungkook raised their guns, ready to fire in case someone jumped out and shot at Glenn. The latter peaked his head through the door, looking both ways, before stepping through it and crouching down.

Jungkook stepped into the threshold, his eyes following Glenn as he steadily walked further away from the bar and through the alley. Hershel took a step closer to the door, glancing towards Glenn, his gun raised and ready to shoot.

BANG!

BANG!

Two bullets soared through the air, one directed towards Glenn and the other towards Jungkook, who had his back turned.

As soon as Gguk's ears picked up the sound of a gunshot, he ducked into the bar, allowing the bullet to scrape the wall, where he had stood before jumping away.

Hershel didn't think for a second as he raised his gun and shot at the man, successfully shooting him in the chest.

Jungkook blinked in shock, his mind becoming a dizzy mess. He swallowed thickly before standing up from his crouching form, and looking towards Hershel with an impressed pout.

"Damn, Hershel, you kick ass." Jungkook commented under his breath, while peaking out of the bar to look at the shooter. The guy was laying down on the ground, loud groans and whines leaving his lips as he rolled around in pain.

Jungkook's eyes flickered to the other side of the street, to check if Glenn was okay. As soon as he noticed him laying behind a dumpster, unmoving, only his legs sticking out, panic hit Gguk upside the head

Hershel's eyes glanced towards Glenn before looking back at the shooter, too worried that he'll attack again to look away.

"Glenn?" Jungkook called out, a hint of worry lacing his words.

The boy looked at Hershel before stepping out of the bar and hunching down. Hershel breathed heavily, shooting the boy a small look before looking back at the moaning guy.

Jungkook looked both ways down the street as he jogged over to Glenn. He slowed down the closer he came to the dumpster before bending down and peaking over the edge of it. His mind was slowly preparing for the worst, causing his face to drop into a blank expression.

Yet, when Jungkook looked at Glenn's body, he found him staring back at him. His eyes were wide with shock and his hands trembled as he pressed his gun against his chest. Glenn blinked owlishly, while Jungkook looked down at the ground and released a small breath of relief.

"You've been hit?" Jungkook whispered, his head lifting up and staring into Glenn's eyes

Glenn swallowed thickly, his face morphing into an unrecognisable expression. He slowly shock his head while letting out a,"No, I'm not."

Jungkook nodded carefully, wondering why he looked so traumatised. It's not like it's the apocalypse, stuff like this had happened plenty of times before. Probably.

The boy scooted over and sat down next to Glenn, taking cover behind the dumpster. Jungkook lifted his head before quietly calling out,"We're okay!"

Soon enough, the two heard the sound of feet shuffling closer to the dumpster before Rick's head popped out from behind it. His eyes briefly looked over Jungkook and then settled on Glenn, who still was staring off into space,

"It's okay, the car's right there. We're almost home." Rick whispered assuringly, Glenn only nodded at him. Rick turned to look at Gguk, his brown raising in question but the boy only pulled up his shoulders in a quick shrug.

Rick licked his lips while releasing a deep sigh through his nose,"You good?" He asked Glenn, finally getting his attention.

Glenn looked up at them both before nodding,"I'm good."

"Alright, let go." Rick looked into their eyes and stood up, ready to get out of there.

Jungkook was about to get up from his crouching position but as soon as Rick was moving to get out of the alley, shots were fired. The loud noise caused Jungkook to wince, while the bullets hit the garbage cans and bounced off.

"Get back." Rick hissed, diving back behind the garbage cans.

Jungkook's tongue darted out of his mouth, running over the Corner his lip before he nibbled on it with his teeth. His eyebrows drew together in frustration, wondering how they'll get away.

The sound of screeching tires brought Gguk out of his thoughts and made him peak over the edge of the dumpster. His eyes immediately fell onto the car stopping in front of the building, the shooter was on.

"Let's get out of here! Roamers all over the place, lets get out!"

"What about Shawn?"

"They shot him! We gotta get out, Roamers are everywhere!"

"We're leaving?"

"Jump!"

The guy looked down at the edge of the building, a bit hesitant to do so. This caused the guy in the car to become impatient,

"Hurry up and jump already!"

Jungkook eyes widened in disbelief as he watched the guy launch himself off of the high building, towards the roof of the building next to it. Yet it all went horribly wrong when he hit the roof and bounced right off of it, falling off completely.

"What an idiot." Jungkook's face scrunched up in a grimace when a blood curling scream reached his ears. He straightened out, trying to see what was happening to the guy to make him scream like that, but he couldn't see him over the white truck in front of him.

"Help me!" The guy screamed in agony, addressing the Male in the car.

"I'm sorry, I have to go!"

"No! Help me!"

"I'm sorry!"

And with that last comment, the guy in the car quickly drove off, leaving behind his screaming friend.

"Damn." Jungkook muttered under his breath before carefully standing up, a bit scared that someone would shoot at him.

Thankfully, the other group had driven off, leaving behind the guy Hershel shot and the guy screaming in pain due to unknown reasons.

"Get Hershel." Rick ordered before standing up and running towards the screaming guy.

Jungkook watched with furrowed eyebrows until he heard the sound of distant growls, signalling the arrival of the infected. Gguk swallowed thickly before running after Rick.

As he got closer to Rick and the screaming guy, he noticed the guy laying on a dumpster, a pointed fence puncturing his leg. Rick's eyebrows furrowed in frustration as he looked down at the leg, seemingly in thought.

"We...we have to go." Jungkook mumbled to Rick, cringing at the whines coming out of the guy's mouth.

Rick didn't look at Jungkook, denial clearly visible on his face as he tried to help the injured boy. Gguk sighed in frustration, rubbing his sweaty forehead and pushing his hair out of his face.

"Rick!" Hershel called out as he, and Glenn, ran towards the three.

"We have to go now." Hershel spoke calmly, not even sparing the boy a glance as he cried out in pain.

"No, no-aahhhhh." The boy shook his head, looking at the group with pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry, son, we have to go now."

"No, no, don't leave me, plea-"

Hershel ignored the boy's pleads and cries, and turned towards Rick,"We have to go."

"We can't." Rick growled, shaking his head lightly.

Jungkook looked at Rick in frustration, raising his voice slightly as he exclaimed,"He was just shooting at us!"

"He's a kid!" Rick yelled back, his face hard and cold.

"Please don't lea-"

Glenn joined in the argument, his voice raising too,"This place is crawling with walkers!"

"We cant leave him!" Rick yelled, not willing to back down and add another life to his conscience. Especially a teenagers.

Hershel walked up to the boy and looked at the leg carefully,"The thing went clean through, there's no way we can get the leg off in one go."

Jungkook marched up to the fence and harshly shook it, rolling his eyes when the boy screamed louder,"This is stupid, we have to leave before the infected get here."

The loud screams of pain and the stress put on his shoulders, caused Rick to shove his gun in the teen's face and scream."Shut up! Shut up or I will shoot you!"

"That may be the answer." Hershel muttered, pulling rick off to the side.

Jungkook and Glenn stepped closer to the guy, watching his leg. Glenn reached out and tried to lift it, causing the boy to cry out and whine again.

Jungkook looked over his shoulder towards Rick and Hershel as they discussed something.

"I don't want to see any more killings, but this is cruel." Hershel told rick, while the latter looking off into the distance, thinking deeply.

Glenn was smacked by an idea, causing him to speak up,"Can't we just take the leg off?"

Rick and Hershel shared a look before looking at the panting boy. Jungkook's nose scrunched up at the thought before he scoffed under his breath, hating that they had to help someone that tried to kill him.

"That hatchet still in the car?" Rick asked Glenn.

The boy's eyes widened when he heard what was going to happen to his precious leg, causing him to protest,"No, no, no, no, don't cut my leg off please. Please."

Jungkook sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. His fingers kept flexing while he shifted on his feet, wanting to do something productive with all the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Yet he only stood around, his instincts telling him to run and leave the guy.

Rick pulled out a small knife, showing it to Hershel,"Will this cut through the bone?"

"I'll have to sever the leg bellow the knee cap, cut above th-" Hershel began to explain while he unbuttoned his white dress shirt.

Jungkook clenched his jaw in mild anger and tuned them out. He didn't want to help the guy who was trying to kill them a few minutes prior. What if he did kill one of them? The guy wouldn't care! He wouldn't loose sleep over it and he wouldn't feel an ounce of guilt! The only reason he's not shooting at them right now is because he's injured and his 'group' left him.

Instead of looking at them tying Hershel's shirt around the guy's leg and holding him down, Jungkook looked out in the streets. He clenched his gun tighter when he saw the hoard of infected coming their way, growls and snarls leaving their mouths.

Someone bumped into his shoulder, causing him to snap his head towards the person and shoot him a small glare. Glenn sent him a sheepish look before he straightened out and looked towards the oncoming infected.

"Walkers!" Glenn shouted, making Jungkook sigh and rub his eyes in annoyance. These guys would be the death of him, it's a wonder they've survived so long.

Jungkook turned around and marched up towards Rick and Hershel. His onyx coloured eyes looked in between the three before stopping at Rick,"This is stupid, he's going to get us all killed! We have to leave while we can!"

Rick's attention snapped towards Jungkook, his jaw clenched and his eyes squinted into a glare,"We're not leaving him."

Jungkook was fumming as he stepped closer to Rick, getting into his personal space. The youngling glared into Rick's eyes, not willing to die because of some idiot jumping down from a roof,"What are you planning to do with him, Rick? You're gonna take him back to the farm where your group lives? Where your family sleeps?" Jungkook talked lowly, his eyes swirling with anger and a hint of fear.

Rick glared right back, his jaw clenching and his hand tightening around the screaming boy's mouth,"He was just trying to kill us, you don't know if he's a good person! You can't take him back to your group and endanger their lives! And you can't set him free because he'll come back and kill your group!"

Jungkook finished his rant, his chest heaving up and down as he breathed heavily. Rick's face relaxed as he stared at Jungkook coldly,"You're not a part of our group either and I don't know you, yet I'm taking you back to my camp."

Jungkook took a step back as if he'd been punched. Realisation poured on him like a bucket of cold water. He wasn't a part of this group, why did he suddenly care so much if they lived or died? He could always turn around and leave when things got hard, it's not like he can't survive on his own.

Low growls and snarls invaded his ears, capturing his attention and causing him to look away from Rick and towards the infected behind him.

Gguk clenched his jaw and raised his gun, making Rick tense slightly. He aimed at the infected before firing his gun, shooting them in the head and killing them successfully.

Rick looked over his shoulder, finally noticing the infected behind him. He quickly pulled his hand away from the screaming boy's mouth and pulled out his own gun.

Jungkook stepped around Rick and walked further into the alleyway, shooting his gun and killing more walkers. No matter how many he killed, they always crawled out of nowhere and charged again.

Rick joined Gguk's side and began to fire his own gun, shooting the infected. Jungkook could hear the sound of Glenn shooting his gun, the sound of growls and moans of the infected, the sound of the guy crying and whining as Hershel was about to cut of his leg.

Jungkook's mind was pounding as he kept shooting, and then suddenly his gun stopped. His onyx coloured eyes looked down at the empty gun in his hand before clenching his jaw and looking up.

Empty.

"Come on! We gotta go! There's walkers everywhere!" Glenn shouted somewhere behind him, stopping his shooting.

Jungkook inhaled a deep breath of air, his eyes flickering around the rotten faces of the infected before going to Rick, who was shooting them. Gguk glanced over his shoulder, his eyes focusing on Glenn, trying to pull Hershel away from the sobbing boy.

Jungkook's head was pounding from all the noise around him, his mind became slightly dazed as he pushed the gun into his pants and marched towards the boy. He could see Glenn's mouth moving as he tried to pull Hershel away and towards the car. Jungkook physically winced from the pleads escaping the injured boy's mouth, and the gunshots ringing through the air.

Rick stopped shooting and turned around, running towards Hershel and the boy. He still looked like he didn't want to leave him, just like Hershel.

Jungkook had enough, anger, frustration and fear clouded his mind, causing him to act on his impulses. He pushed past Rick and Hershel, making them stumble back and look at the boy in confusion. Jungkook ignored their looks and grabbed the guy's leg firmly. He ignored the loud cries coming out of his mouth before harshly pulling the leg off of the fence.

A loud scream echoed throughout the town, but Jungkook ignored it and took a step back. Glenn and Rick quickly grabbed the sobbing boy and pulled him towards the car. Jungkook and Hershel ran after them and jumped inside the truck.

Jungkook shut the door and breathed heavily as the car launched forward and drove away. He leaned back in his seat and stared out of the window, watching all the infected they passed by.

Gguk's onyx coloured eyes flickered down to his blood covered hands before he rubbed them off on his jeans. The boy released a deep sight and leaned his head back against the seat, ignoring the looks he received from the people in the car.


	6. Old MacDonald had a farm...

**|Jungkook|**

** Jungkook sat in the back of the ca**r, a blindfold wrapped around his eyes and handcuffs around his wrists, preventing him from doing much. His stuff was confiscated and he was left weaponsless.

After they left the town, Rick pulled over on the side of the road and took away all of his, and the injured leg guy's-Randall's- stuff. He handcuffed them and put blindfolds on them. The only difference between the two was that Randall had earphones in, so that he wouldn't hear anything.

After that, and after Jungkook commented a few sassy remarks, he was seated back in the car and they continued to drive to the farm.

A few hours later, Jungkook could feel the car finally came to a slow stop. His shoulders tensed and his lips pulled into a straight line when he heard the group get out of the car and slam the doors shut.

Gguk swallowed thickly, his trembling fingers clenching around the metal handcuffs. His head dropped towards the ground, allowing his hair to fall in his face and hide him.

Jungkook could hear the distant sound of chattering and feet shuffling before someone exclaimed loudly,

"Who the hell are they?!"

Jungkook couldn't stop the smirk from appearing on his lips when he heard the comment. He licked his bottom lip, trying to make the smirk disappear before he looked like a complete asshole.

"Randall and Jungkook." Glenn answered, his voice tired and grim.

Jungkook's muscles tensed even more when he heard multiple people approaching the car, and he sensed their stares burning into his skin.

After a few seconds of tense silence, the door next to him swung open and someone tightly grabbed him by his arm, harshly pulling him out. A yelp left Gguk's lips as he stumbled forward before catching himself and straightening out. The hand around his bicep cut off the blood flow in it, with how hard it was gripping him.

Jungkook clenched his jaw and allowed his eyebrows to draw together in annoyance. He let out a deep sigh through his nose as he was tugged somewhere,

"Careful, Daryl, he helped us." Rick's voice called out, causing the man 'Daryl' to loosen his grip slightly and let out a low grunt.

Jungkook kept quiet as he stumbled after Daryl, trying to keep up with his quick pace. Daryl stopped, causing Gguk to bump into him before he quickly took a step back. Jungkook heard a quiet sigh and then the sound of a creaky door opening.

The poor boy was harshly pushed inside a building, making him stumble forward and nearly fall. Jungkook caught himself just in time and inhaled deeply. His nose immediately scrunched up when the stench of hay and dust stabbed him in the nostrils.

Daryl grabbed Gguk and pushed him onto a chair before harshly pulling off his blindfold. Jungkook blinked, allowing his eyes to adjust the the dark...barn? He was in. His onyx coloured eyes roamed around the barn, focusing on the blood stains and the dirt covering the walls.

"Hey, hey!" Daryl snapped his fingers in front of Jungkook's face, causing him to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

'Daryl' was a muscular man with an intimidating aura. His brown hair was short, and his skin was covered in dirt, blood and sweat. Yet he didn't seem to give a shit about that. Daryl's eyes were intimidating as he looked at Jungkook, seemingly staring right through him.

Jungkook didn't look away from Daryl as he ran his eyes over Gguk's form, analysing him. Only when Daryl leaned down and got in his face, placing one of his hands on the back of his chair and the other on the armrest, did Jungkook tense and swallow thickly.

"What's your name?" Daryl asked, his cold eyes not leaving Gguk's.

The boy released an unnecessary breath before replying,"Is this really necessary? I'll answer your questions anyway."

Daryl glared him down a few more seconds before backing up. He straightened out and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting patiently.

Jungkook sighed, rolling his shoulders and wrists, due to the uncomfortable chair and handcuffs,

"Kim Jungkook."

Daryl nodded before asking another question,"Where are you from, Jungkook?"

"South Korea." He replied quickly and shortly, his eyes dancing around the room, taking everything in.

"How'd you get 'ere?" Daryl raised an eyebrow, reading the boy's body language carefully.

Jungkook looked back at Daryl and took a deep breath before spilling it out,"I came to America for a year because of an exchange program. When everything went to shit, I was stuck here."

Daryl gave him a small nod and crouched down in front of Jungkook, his eyes never leaving the boy's bored ones,"Do you have a group?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I used to have one but they turned out to be psychopathic assholes- Killed an innocent family and took their stuff. That night they slept as if nothing had happened while I snuck away and left." Jungkook told Daryl, his eyes and face blank, not giving anything away.

Daryl could see that he was telling the truth, making him move onto the next question,"What's your plan with this group?"

Jungkook tilted his head to the side in confusion, before scoffing"Plan? Surviving sounds good."

Daryl stared at him, his eyes cold and hard. Jungkook never looked away, even though he was really intimidated by him, even though he wanted to look down. He didn't, causing Daryl to nod and stand up.

"What do you want with our group?" Daryl asked again, this time slower and calmer.

Jungkook rolled his eyes, tensing when Daryl walked around him and stood behind him,"I already told yo-"

Daryl interrupted him by grabbing a fistful of his hair and pulling his head back harshly, displaying his pale neck. Derek swiftly pulled out a knife and pressed it against Jungkook's throat. The boy was frozen in shock, not daring to move an inch.

Daryl leaned down and growled in Jungkook's ear,"I'll ask you again- what. Are. Your. Pl-"

Jungkook cut him off by squirming and speaking tough gritted teeth,"Nothing. I want absolutely nothing." Daryl looked down at him with a raised eyebrow, making Gguk sigh and look away.

The boy bit his lip, blinking away the stinging in his eyes before he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper,"It gets lonely roaming the ruins of what used to be towns and cities. Scavenging for food and sleeping with one eye open, scared that an infected would come out of nowhere and get you,"Jungkook paused, chewing on his lip anxiously before he continued,"Is it that hard to believe that after months of fighting on my own, I want to finally have someone to look out for me? That...that I don't want to be out there alone?" Jungkook finished speaking, bitting down on the side of his cheek to stop his lips from trembling.

Daryl said nothing as he pulled away the knife and gently let go of his hair. Jungkook didn't look at him as Daryl turned around and left the barn, not a world leaving his lips.

Jungkook sighed, leaning his head back and squeezing his eyes shut. He hated talking about his feelings or showing weakness. When he did so, he felt weak and stupid. Right after he told Daryl about how he felt, he couldn't help and feel regret blossom inside his stomach. Gguk so desperately wanted to take back what he'd said, he felt weak and embarrassed.

After what felt like an hour, the door to the barn creaked open, allowing rays of light to run into the room and shine on Gguk. The boy scrunched up his nose and looked away, slightly blinded.

He heard two pairs of footsteps coming towards him before Rick crouched down in front of him, staring up at him with gentle eyes. Jungkook frowned, raising an eyebrow.

Rick sighed and took out a key, holding it up,"I'm gonna unclock your handcuffs but no funny business, got it?" Rick spoke sternly, a threatening glare on his face.

"You do realise that we literally spent 5 hours together while I was uncuffed and holding a gun." Jungkook raised an amused eyebrow, looking at Rick like he was an idiot. The sheriff kept staring at him, ignoring his comment, making the boy sigh and roll his eyes,"No funny business."

Rick nodded and inserted the key in the cuffs, unlocking them. The sheriff stood up and put the cuffs away. Jungkook immediately jumped to his feet, causing Daryl, who was behind him, to raise his crossbow and aim at him. Jungkook, not noticing this, raised his hands high up and stretched. A content sigh left his lips when a small crack came out of his back.

Rick sent Daryl a look, making him lower his bow and roll his eyes. Jungkook finished his stretching before he rubbed his sore wrists.

"Come on." Rick nudged him towards the exit of the barn, making Gguk walk towards it.

"Where are we going?" Jungkook asked as he pushed open the door, his hand immediately flying up to his eyes when the bright sun blinded him. He blinked a couple of times before adjusting to the light.

Daryl grumbled something under his breath and pushed Jungkook forward, making him stumble slightly. Gguk sent him a small glare, which Daryl ignored, before walking off.

Rick ignored their exchange and began to walk away, gesturing Jungkook to follow after him,"Come on."

As he followed after Rick, walking towards a two story White House, his eyes wondered around the area he was in. Gguk's eyes ran over the open fields and the forest surrounding the area. He could see a small camp set up a bit away from the house with people roaming around.

When they got closer to the White House, the people looked at Jungkook with wary eyes. The boy felt anxiety bubble up inside his stomach and crawl up to his throat. He looked away from the people, yet he couldn't ignore the way their eyes stayed glued on him. Jungkook's lips pulled down in a frown as he picked up his pace to walk closer to Rick.

The leader spared him a small glance before walking up the steps to the house and pushing the door open. Gguk followed after him and hesitantly entered the house.

The house was spotless, not an ounce of dirt or dust visible anywhere. It made Jungkook feel dirty when he glanced down at his dirty, bloody, hole covered clothes. The boy visibly cringed at himself and stopped walking, not wanting to leave dirt on the seemingly spotless ground.

Rick stopped walking too, looking at Jungkook with furrowed eyebrows. The sound of footsteps reached their ears, making them turn towards the direction they came form.

A young girl with chin length brown hair came into the hallway. She was beautiful and looked absolutely fierce. The girl had a hint of danger in her eyes as she analysed Jungkook.

Jungkook awkwardly shifted under her stare, finding the silence unbearably awkward.

"I'm Jungkook." Gguk interrupted the silence, causing her to look into his eyes.

The girl raised an eyebrow and gave Rick a look before looking back at Jungkook,"I know. Follow me." The girl swiftly turned around and entered the room she came out of.

Jungkook hesitated before following the girl. As he walked by Rick, The leader gave him a small nod and patted him on the back. Jungkook tensed but accepted the gesture, finding it strangely comforting among the unfamiliar surroundings.

Gguk entered the kitchen of the house, his eyes yet again wondering around and taking everything in.

"Go ahead and sit down." The brown haired girl ordered, sending him a stern look. She picked up a knife and started cutting something on the counter.

Jungkook figured it would be best if he followed her instructions since he was in her house and she could flung the knife at him. Wordlessly, Jungkook sat down at the dinning table. His butt barely touched the edge of the seat and his hands timidly stayed in his lap, not wanting to touch anything and leave a dirt stain on it.

The girl glanced at Jungkook, running her eyes over him before speaking,"Hershel's my dad, he said that you're a good kid."

Jungkook turned to look at her, not saying anything. His eyes flickered down to the sandwich she was making, causing his eyes to widen at the sight and his mouth to water. Jungkook swallowed his saliva and licked his lips before looking away, his stomach aching uncomfortably.

"Daddy's a nice man, his kindness can cloud his judgement sometimes. I don't think you're a bad person, but you can never be sure these days," Jungkook listened calmly as she spoke, her eyes not looking towards him as she finished making the sandwich,"You couldn't even be sure before." The girl whispered under her breath, making Gguk frown and look down at the clean table in front of him.

"So let me tell you something," The girl put the sandwich on a plate and approached Jungkook. She stopped in front of him and stared down at him with hard eyes,"The people here are my family, if you as much as try to hurt them, you're gonna regret it." The brown eyed girl whispered threateningly before placing the plate of sandwich in front of Gguk,"This doesn't mean that I trust you."

Jungkook looked up at her, his lips tugging up in the corners at her protectiveness,"I would take you for a fool if you did."

The girl squinted her eyes before her face softened slightly and she turned away,"Eat." She ordered while sitting down at the table at the opposite side of him.

Jungkook's eyes snapped up to her and he blinked owlishly,"Really?" He asked in astonishment, not remembering when was the last time he had something other than granola bars and canned beans.

"Dig in." The girl nodded, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against her seat.

Jungkook didn't waste any time to take a hold of the sandwich and stuff as much as he could into his mouth. As soon as the sandwich touched his tastebuds, Gguk's toes curled, and he wanted to jump up and do a little dance. Even though it was a regular sandwich with ham and cheese, it tasted Devine to him. Gguk's cheeks puffed out and his lips were still open as he tried to chew.

"Manners, Jungkook." The girl scolded, her nose scrunching up slightly.

Gguk looked up sheepishly before swallowing,"Sorry." This time he took a smaller bite and chewed with his mouth shut.

"I'm Maggie." The girl finally introduced herself, watching as he practically inhaled the sandwich.

Gguk glanced up at her, sending her a wide, bunny smile, the food in his mouth slightly visible. Jungkook's eyes squinted and his puffy cheeks strained as he smiled. Maggie couldn't help it and allowed a smile to appear on her face at the sight before her.

Gguk finished eating and released a content sigh,"Thank you." He mumbled in appreciation.

Maggie nodded and stood up. After putting his plate away, she nodded for him to follow her.

Jungkook stood up and followed after Maggie as she led him through the house. She started to speak as they made their way upstairs,"I'm gonna show you the room you'll be staying in. You should take a shower and leave your dirty clothes for me to wash,"Maggie glanced back at his clothes before scowling,"Actually, I think you should just throw them out. I'll bring you some of Jimmy's clothes so that you could wear them."

Jungkook looked at her with raised eyebrows, following her into a room,"I...There's a shower?" He asked in shock.

Maggie smirked and nodded, pointing at the door to his left,"Yes, but don't stay in there for too long. Save water and stuff." She shrugged as Gguk looked around the room.

It wasn't anything special- the floor consisted of wooden tiles and the wall were a creamy white colour. A single bed was pushed up against a wall, right under the window, and a dresser was in the corner of the room- yet Jungkook felt extremely grateful for the food and the room.

The boy turned around to thank Maggie but she was already gone. The door to the room had been shut, leaving him on his own.

Jungkook turned around and opened the door that lead to the bathroom, he entered the room and his mouth tugged up at the sight of a shower.

Yet again, it wasn't anything special- white tiles, white walls, a sink pushed against a wall with a mirror hanging above it, a toilet on the opposite side of it, with a window above it, and a shower right in front of Jungkook.

The boy warily stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He glanced out of the window to his right, his eyes dancing around the front yard. Gguk could see some people walking around and communicating with each other. He thinks he even saw a young boy running across the field.

Jungkook stepped away from the window, not wanting to be seen. He knew that the others didn't trust him, it made him feel a bit on edge and awkward, but he knew if anything went wrong here, he would just leave and not look back.

Gguk sighed, his eyes cast down as he turned around and faced the mirror. Swallowing thickly, he looked up and stared at himself.

Instinctively, his nose scrunched up when he saw the boy staring back at him. Jungkook's eyes weren't as bright as they were before, they didn't shine with innocence and blissful obliviousness towards the outside world. Yet his eyes were still the dark shade of ebony like he remembered. His skin was covered with dirt, sweat and even some splatters of blood. You could barely see his pale skin under all that grime.

Gguk's eyes traveled up to his light brown hair and he cringed at the sight of it. His hair was filthy and sweaty, some strands were stuck together with blood and dirt. You couldn't see the lightness of it since it was covered with grime, making it appear darker than it was.

Jungkook bit his chapped lip, causing his eyes to land onto his teeth. He opened his mouth wide, looking at his teeth. A breath of relief escaped him when he saw that they were still white, some food here and there, but overall clean. Gguk smiled slightly at the sight of his bunny teeth before washing the look away and turning towards the shower.

Jungkook reached into the shower and turned it on, he thought that Maggie was playing a prank on him and the showers weren't actually working. But when he turned the knob, water poured out of the shower head and landed on his dirt covered hand.

Gguk jerked back in surprise, his eyes growing wide and nearly popping out of his skull. The boy blinked a few times, staring at the running water as if he was in a dream before quickly snapping out of it.

Jungkook couldn't control the grin from appearing on his face as he pulled off his sweaty shirt and dirt covered jeans. The boy quickly got rid of his clothes before jumping into the shower.

He stepped underneath the shower and allowed the water to land on him. Jungkook closed his eyes and leaned his head back, enjoying the feeling of warm water running down his skin and soaking his hair. The boy spent a few minutes enjoying the familiar sensation, and imagining as if the apocalypse didn't happen and he was back home in South Korea.

If the apocalypse indeed didn't happen, after 3 months and 16 days he would've been sent back home to his parents. Gguk missed them the whole time he was away but with time it got better. Of course he would talk to them every night through video calls, but it never allowed him to truly experience his mother's warm touch, or hearing his father's life advice as they looked out into the city of Daegu.

The last time he talked to his parents was two days before the apocalypse began. Gguk told his mother all about school and the life in America while she prepared dinner for herself and her husband.

Jungkook wished he could see his parents again, but he knew it was impossible. Getting to South Korea, to see his probably dead parents was something an idiot would do. And Jungkook wasn't that stupid.

The boy opened his eyes, blinking away the tears gathered into them. He looked down at his feet and noticed the dark water with a hint of red, pouring down the drain. Gguk glanced towards the shelf with shampoo bottles. After a few seconds of hesitation, Jungkook grabbed a strawberry scented shampoo.

The boy squirted some in his palm before placing the bottle back and rubbing the shampoo in his wet locks. Gguk began to scrub his scalp, trying to untangle the little tangles in his hair and trying to wash out all the dirt from it.

After his head was covered in foam, Jungkook stepped underneath the shower head and allowed the water to rinse out the foam. Jungkook reached out and grabbed a citrus shampoo bottle, grinning widely as he poured it into his palm yet again.

The scent of strawberries mixing with citrus invaded his nostrils, making him suck in a deep breath through his nose and hum in content. Jungkook placed his hands together before starting to scrub the grime off of his skin.

The boy began with his palms and slowly went up. After a few minutes of brutal scrubbing, he could finally see his milky skin. Gguk smiled slightly, beginning to wash his chest and the rest of his body. After he was done, he shut his eyes and ducked underneath the shower head. Gguk began to scrub his face, washing off all the blood and dirt on it too.

Jungkook leaned away from the water and got rid of all the foam on his body. The boy spent a few more second enjoying the shower before finally reaching out and turning it off.

The cold air immediately wrapped around his skin, causing goosebumps to arise all over it. Gguk stepped out of the shower as a shiver ran across his back, making him tremble slightly. He quickly snatched a white fluffy towel off of a shelf and began to dry himself. After he was dry, Gguk tied the towel around his narrow waist.

Jungkook again faced the mirror, yet this time the person staring back at him looked more like himself. His pale skin was fully on display, no dirt or blood visible. It looked smooth to the touch, except for some small scars littered across his body.

Jungkook had dark bags under his eyes, a clear indication of lack of sleep. His cheeks weren't as chubby as before, making his cheekbone more prominent. Gguk's jaw was sharper, and his ribs and collarbones were sticking out. His light brown hair was longer than it used to be, messily falling over his forehead.

Jungkook sighed and looked away, glancing down at the toothbrush in one of the cups on he sink. Gguk took a green toothbrush and grabbed a bottle of toothpaste, squirting a blob onto it.

The boy didn't waste a second to place the brush in his mouth and brush his teeth. After a few seconds, Jungkook spit out the foam and rinsed his mouth, he washed the toothbrush and put it back in place.

Jungkook turned around and opened the bathroom door, walking into his bedroom. He noticed a pile of clothes sitting on top of his bed, making him go over there and grab them.

Gguk dropped his towel and quickly put on the boxer briefs, white T-shirt and black skinny jeans. The jeans and shirt were a bit big on him, but he shrugged it off and turned towards the bed.

Jungkook bit his lip, wondering if he should lower his guard around these people and go to sleep. His eyes began to sting at the thought of sleep and his body slightly swayed to the side. Jungkook's whole body screamed for him to just climb in the bed and rest.

After releasing a deep breath through his nose, Gguk pulled the covers of the bed back and slipped inside. He pulled the covers up to his chin and allowed his body to relax against the mattress. As soon as Jungkook's head landed on the pillow, his eyes shut and he fell into a deep slumber.


	7. Eggmare

_The sound of growls and snarls echoed throughout the abandoned market. A horde of infected were banging on the glass doors, trying to get in._

_The reason for their actions was simple- a young boy was running in between the isles, taunting the dead. He grabbed everything he saw, stuffing them inside his black pack pack while simultaneously ignoring the infected outside._

_His forehead dripped with sweat and his hands trembled in fear as he picked up food, water and other necessities. The boy's muscles ached in fatigue and tears burned his onyx coloured eyes._

_The boy, Jungkook, was scared shitless. He was trying not to break down in tears while staring at the horde trying to get to him. Images of him being ripped to shreds by the horde kept flashing through his mind. Yet Jungkook pushed past the need to panic and continued to gather everything he could._

_Jungkook glanced at the door, his eyes widened and his breathing quickened when he noticed some infected picking up other objects, like rocks, to smash the glass doors._

_Jungkook decided that this was a good time to leave, so he put the last bottle of water in his bag and zipped it shut. He pulled it around his shoulders and winced at the weight of the backpack, but nonetheless turned around and dashed through the isles, towards the place where he entered the store._

_Jungkook paled and froze when he heard the sound of the glass doors shattering behind him. The boy allowed himself to look over his shoulder. Through teary eyes, he saw the growling and moaning infected push through the broken door and enter the store._

_Jungkook went back to running as the infected pushed past each other, trying to reach the boy first. Kook reached the end of the isle and looked back. The infected shuffled after him, hands reaching out, ready to grab him._

_Kook brushed away his sweaty hair and acted impulsively- he grabbed a hold of the shelf to his right and began to pull it. His muscles screamed in protest and his fingers trembled as he gripped the tall shelf. Yet Jungkook was determined. A low groan left his lips as the shelf finally began to topple over._

_Jungkook looked back at the infected, only for him to let out a yelp and jerk back. Some of them had already reached him, ready to reach out and grab him before sinking their teeth into his skin._

_The shelf, Jungkook had pulled, continued to fall until it fell on top of the infected with a loud thud. Gguk didn't have time to cough due to all the dust in the room, because one of the infected had grabbed the sleeve of his shirt._

_Jungkook let out a small scream when the infected snapped its teeth inches away from his wrist. Gguk raised his foot before slamming it down on the infected's head. The walking corpse growled and moaned while Jungook continuously slammed his foot down on its head._

_The grip on his sleeve loosened, causing Jungkook to rip his hand away and stumble back. He looked up and saw some of the infected stumbling and crawling over the fallen shelf, crushing the ones underneath it._

_Jungkook turned around and dashed towards the back door. He pushed past the metal door and slipped into the room, once he was in, he slammed the door shut. Jungkook grabbed the wooden desk in the room and pulled it towards the door. His hands trembled, causing him to bite down on his bottom lip to suppress his pain filled groans._

_Jungkook pushed the desk against the metal wall just as the infected reached the room and tried to push the door open. Gguk heaved while hunching over, his eyes stung with tears of fear before he rubbed them away with his sweaty palm._

_The boy inhaled sharply as he listened to the bangs at the metal door. He stepped on top of the desk before looking up at the hole in the ceiling._

_Jungkook was desperate for supplies, he hadn't eaten in a week and he was running out of water. That's the reason why he was so desperate to risk his life for food._

_Jungkook saw the horde at the front of the store and the lack of windows in it, causing him to think creatively and climb on top of the store. Gguk tried to be as quiet as possible as he found the weakest spot in the roof before smashing through it with his foot. Luckily it wasn't hard due to the rain and other stuff that happened to the store since the apocalypse started._

_Jungkook took the backpack off of his shoulders before swinging it through the roof. The backpack flung over the edge, leaving Jungkook to follow._

_The growing and pounding at the metal door increased as Jungkook jumped up and grasped the edge of the hole. A small whimper left his lips as the sharp edges of the hole dug into his skin, successfully breaking the surface and drawing blood. Gguk pulled himself up, blinking away the tears of pain and biting his lip to stop them from trembling._

_Jungkook pulled himself up, his muscles slightly relaxing when his stomach touched the roof, only leaving his legs dangling._

_The metal door to the room was harshly pushed open and a whole group of infected fell through, hitting the table and pushing it away._

_Jungkook's eyes widened in panic and he quickly tried to pull the rest of his body up. A hand grasped his ankle, pulling him down and causing him to scratch his stomach on the edge hole. A scream tore out of his throat as the infected-_

Jungkook's eyes shot open and he scrambled against the wall behind him. His breaths came out in pants and his eyes were wide open as he looked around frantically. Jungkook's skin was covered in a thin layer of sweat, causing his hair to stick to his forehead and his shirt to cling to his skin.

The boy slightly relaxed when he found himself laying on a white bed, in the Hershel's House. He could hear the sound of laughter and talking outside his window, causing him to swallow down the fear in his throat and shakily push his sweaty hair out of his face.

Jungkook shut his eyes and laid back down on the bed. Yet as soon as his eyes were shut, flashbacks of the dream, or rather memory, ran through his mind like a flash of lightning.

There was a knock at the door, causing Gguk to quickly sit up and brush the sleep out of his eyes.

"Y..yes?" The boy called out, still a bit shaken by the nightmare.

The white door creaked open and a woman popped her head inside. She was a lot older than the 18 year old, yet she was still beautiful. Her hair was slightly gray and chopped short. Her skin was pale and wrinkled in some places. There was a nervous smile on her face as she looked at Jungkook, and the boy noticed the slight fear in her blue eyes as she stepped further into the room.

"Hi, I'm carol." The woman introduced herself while walking inside the room without shutting the door behind her.

Jungkook blinked owlishly, his eyes glancing down at the plate of scrambled eggs and a glass of orange juice in her hands,"Jungkook." He muttered quietly, his mouth watering at the delicious smell coming from the eggs.

Carol noticed that his attention wasn't on her, making her relax and smile more genuinely,"I...I brought you some breakfast."

Jungkook watched as she offered him the plate and placed the orange juice on the bedside table. The boy sent her a small nod before taking the plate and placing it on his lap. Jungkook scooted over, leaning his back against the headboard, and taking the fork Carol offered him.

Jungkook didn't waste time to scoop up some eggs and stuff them in his mouth. He ignored carol as she warily sat down on the edge of his bed and watched him eat.

After a few bites, Jungkook looked up at carol, still chewing a mouthful of eggs and asked,"Didn't I just eat? Maggie made me a sandwich."

Carol frowned before smiling again,"You slept for a day, a lot happened while you were out."

Jungkook cocked a curious brow, stuffing more eggs into his mouth,"Like what?" His words were slightly muffled due to him still eating.

"Don't talk with your mouth full,"Carol scolded, giving him a stern gaze. After receiving a nod from Gguk, she sighed and allowed her shoulders to slouch as she told him,"Our group didn't want the other boy, Randall, to stay here because he was trying to kill all of you. We wanted to release him but that didn't go as planned, so Randall is back at the farm. Now everyone's voting on wether to kill him, let him go, or let him stay with us."

Jungkook stopped eating and just stared at carol with raised eyebrows. The boy released an awkward cough before putting his empty plate on the bedside table,"So what was the point in even trying to save his life?"

Carol frowned before giving him a small shrug,"You should ask Rick that, it was his decision."

And with that, carol stood up, took his empty plate and headed to the door.

"Uhm...ma'am, where are you going?" Jungkook quickly stopped her from leaving, not wanting to stay in the room and do nothing.

Carol halted in her steps and looked back at him with raised eyebrows. She blinked for a second before a wide smile spread across her face and she released a small chuckle,"Ma'am? Haven't heard that in a while. Well, Jungkook, I'm going to do some chores while it's still light outside."

Jungkook quickly jumped up from his bed and grabbed his boots, pulling them up his feet. He stood up straighter and walked towards Carol,"Alright, we can head out."

Carol sent him a small smile and they left the room. After carol put away his dish, the two walked out of the house and down its steps.

Jungkook rubbed his eyes due to the bright sun shinning in them, but nevertheless followed after Carol. The woman was walking towards a group of people, including Glenn, Rick and Daryl. The closer he got to the group, the more nervous he became.

Jungkook fiddled with his fingers, trying to hide as much emotion on his face as he could. His onyx coloured eyes jumped from a person to a person, trying to figure out if they were a threat or not. Jungkook felt a bit lightheaded, everything that's happened to him in this short period of time was overwhelming.

Gguk took a deep breath before releasing it, trying to calm down his fast beating heart and stop his palms from sweating.

The group noticed carol and Jungkook walking towards them, causing them to straighten out and face the two. Some gave Jungkook wary looks, while others smiled at him. Carol sent them a nod, trying to tell them that he's a good person, receiving small sighs of relief in return.

"As you already know, this is Jungkook." Carol gestured towards him, making the said boy awkwardly shuffle on his feet and give a small wave.

"Hi."

Jungkook tried to stay blank faced when the group didn't say anything and just analysed him. After a minute of tense silence, an old man with greying hair and kind eyes stepped forward. He smiled kindly at Jungkook and extended his hand towards him.

"I'm Dale." The man introduced himself, still wearing that kind smile.

Jungkook bit his lip, looking down at Dale's extended hand before warily reaching his own out. Jungkook held his breath as he put his hand in Dale's and firmly shook it.

The whole group seemed to relax slightly after the exchange. Dale stepped back and looked back at the group, shooting them a look that said '_introduce yourselves_'.

A beautiful woman with dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes stepped forward, and sent Jungkook a small smile. Her eyes were gentle but Gguk could see the slight fear and anxiety she tried to hide.

"I'm Lori,"The woman introduced herself before gently grabbing and pulling the young boy, that was behind her, next to her. Jungkook's eyes glanced down at the boy wearing a sheriff's hat, only to find the boy staring up at him with squinted eyes filled with distrust,"And this is Carl."

Carl didn't say anything, only shot Jungkook a small glare. Gguk licked his bottom lip, trying not to smile as he looked back at Lori and gave her a small nod.

Another woman, yet with blonde hair, stepped forward and gave him a stare that was meant to intimidate him. Jungkook didn't feel intimidated at all, yet he didn't dare to smile in amusement or look away,"Andrea."

Jungkook nodded and glanced at the last unfamiliar Male that stood next to Rick. The guy didn't spare him a glance, making Gguk raise a brow and Rick sigh. The latter sent the guy a pointed look, causing him to look at Jungkook with a dangerous glare,"Shane." The Male grunted distastefully before turning away.

"So what are we gonna do? Are you all gonna feel better if you knew the plan?" Lori broke the tense silence after the introductions were over.

Andrea raised an eyebrow as she looked at Lori,"Is there a plan?"

"We're gonna keep him here?" Glenn spoke up, looking towards Rick.

Jungkook glanced in between them, a bit confused about the conversation topic. He decided to keep quiet since the group obviously didn't trust him yet. And distrust meant that they weren't ready for his thoughts.

"We'll know soon enough." Rick muttered, nodding towards Gguk's right.

The boy turned his head and noticed Daryl walking towards them. His face was hard and impassive as he marched towards them. The group looked towards him in interest, waiting for what he had to say.

Daryl's eyes glanced over them, momentarily stopping at Jungkook before focusing on Rick,"Fucker's got a gang, 30 men. Heavy artillery and they aren't looking to make friends. They roll through here- our boys gonna be dead and our women...they gonna...they gonna wish they were." Daryl informed the group.

A small shiver traveled down Gguk's back when he heard Daryl's words. He finally caught on to what they were talking about- Randall. Jungkook's mind flashed with images of what could happen if they let Randall go and those alone made him sick to his stomach.

"What did you do?" Carol asked, her eyes glancing down at Daryl's bloody knuckles.

Daryl shrugged carelessly, stepping around the group,"Had a little chat."

"No one goes near this guy-" Rick started to say, but Lori walked up to him and stopped him.

"Rick,"She spoke quietly, leaning closer to him,"What are you gonna do?"

Jungkook perked up, looking at Rick with curiosity, he too wondered what was the sheriff planning. If the choice was up to Jungkook, he never would've saved him from that town.

"He's a threat....we have to eliminate the threat," Rick stated, his eyes jumping from every member in the group, seeking their reaction.

Jungkook nodded in agreement, glad that the leader had some common sense in him. He turned his gaze away from the group and stared out in the open fields.

"You're just going to kill him?" Dale asked Rick in disbelief, horror written all over his face.

Rick spared him a glance before looking at the rest of the group,"It's settled, we'll do it today."

Jungkook looked back at Rick as he turned around and marched away. His eyes flickered over to Dale, taking in the horror and determination on his face. He watched with curiosity as Dale turned around and ran after Rick. The older man caught up to him and stopped him from walking away before the two engaged into a heated argument.

"Hey, Kook," The said boy tensed and snapped his head towards Maggie as she approached him. The nickname falling from her lips felt natural and unforced, but Jungkook couldn't help feel tense at being called Kook after so long.

He raised a wordless eyebrow, not trusting himself enough to speak. The nickname caused his throat to tighten and his mouth to dry up.

Maggie sent Jungkook a small smile before nodding him over,"Come on, help me feed the horses."

Jungkook allowed his lips to tilt up slightly as he followed after the girl. He felt eyes burning into his back, causing him to look over his shoulder and notice Glenn watching the two. A small frown was on his face and his eyes shone with jealousy. Jungkook frowned in confusion, knowing that Glenn didn't have to be jealous since he wasn't attracted to the older girl.

Jungkook shook his head slightly and followed after Maggie. He felt himself smirk in amusement as he watched Maggie look back at Glenn and send him a taunting pout.


	8. Decisions...decisions

Jungkook allowed his hand to glide over the soft muzzle of the horse before him. The black horse let out a small neigh, leaning his head further into Jungkook's palm. Jungkook's eyes shone with amazement and his lips tilted up into a small bunny smile.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself." Maggie snorted as she filled the hay feeder with hay.

The boy didn't look away from the horse or stop gliding his hand over its neck while responding,"It's been a long time since I've seen a horse." Jungkook breathed out in wonder, his eyes glowing with excitement.

Maggie hummed and turned around to glance at the younger one. A small smile tugged on her lips at the sight before her. Jungkook looked calm and content as he stared at the horse with wide eyes. His lips were pulled back into a small smile, revealing his two front bunny teeth, causing Maggie to bite her lip to stop herself from commenting on it.

"So did you ask me to come here to make Glenn jealous?" Jungkook finally stepped away from the horse and turned to look at Maggie.

The said girl raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the stable,"Why would you think that?"

"I may be a bit slow but I didn't miss the looks you two exchanged." Jungkook smirked slightly, watching as the horse walked over to the hay and began to munch on it.

Maggie rolled her eyes playfully and straightened out,"He's been distant ever since he came back from the town. Maybe you know why."

Jungkook frowned in thought before shaking his head,"I don't know, but I think talking to him would be better than making him jealous." Gguk sent her a timid smile, feeling a lot more comfortable with her after spending a few hours together looking after the horses.

"I Didn't know a fetus like you would know much about relationships." Maggie teased, a playful grin adoring her face.

A small blush coated Jungkook's pale cheek before he squinted his eyes and sent her a glare,"Shut up," The boy muttered, causing Maggie to release a small laugh.

Jungkook rolled his eyes with a small smile, feeling his stomach tingle in happiness. The loneliness he used to feel every night was nowhere to be found. Gguk smiled at the thought before speaking,"Age has nothing to do with it. I'm smart."

Maggie stopped laughing and looked up at him, her face a bit more serious than before,"You wouldn't be here if you weren't."

Jungkook bit his lip and looked away, falling deeper into his thoughts. The sound of the stable door opening caused Gguk to look up and turn towards the entrance.

Dale walked inside, his eyes jumping all over the place before settling in Jungkook. He approached the pair with determination, causing Jungkook to frown in confusion.

"Maggie, can you please leave us alone for a second?" Dale turned towards Maggie, his eyes silently pleading her.

The said girl glanced between them before exhaling and nodding slightly. She turned towards Jungkook and nodded towards the tub of water for the horse to drink,"Can you refill that?"

"Yeah." Jungkook mumbled, receiving a small smile from Maggie.

Gguk's eyes flickered over to Dale as Maggie left the stable and the two alone. The boy waited patiently as Dale sighed and took a few steps forward,"I know you're a good kid, you're no murderer, I can see it in your eyes."

Jungkook furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and crossed his arms over his chest,"What are you talking about?"

"Randall. We're going to vote at down wether to kill him or not." Dale informed Jungkook, receiving a raised eyebrow in return.

Dale licked his lips, his kind yet determination filled eyes pinning him down."We're not the ones who decide who gets to live and who dies. This world has enough dead in it, the living have to stick together."

Jungkook was still confused about why Dale decided to approach him on the matter,"Why are you telling me this?"

"You're a part of this group, you're going to have to vote too,"Jungkook's eyebrows shot up at the news before Dale continued speaking,"I know what your vote is going to be, and I want to change it."

Jungkook stared at Dale in disbelief before a small scoff slipped past his lips. Gguk clenched his jaw and turned around, grabbing the water hose and aiming it at the empty tub.

"The guy was shooting at us, he was trying to _kill_ us." Jungkook spoke tensely, trying not to loose his temper as he turned on the water hose and began to fill the tub with water.

Dale frowned and shook his head in denial,"He's just a kid, just like you."

"Do not compare me to him!" Jungkook snapped his head towards Dale and sent him a small glare. The boy sighed and rubbed his sweaty forehead,"I don't kill innocent people, Dale, that's saying a lot about my decision."

"You're no murderer, Jungkook, you don't want his life to fall on your conscience." Dale spoke softer and calmer than before, looking at the boy with pleading eyes.

Jungkook shook his head and looked up at him with a frown,"No, but I would much rather have one life on my conscience than this whole group's."

"Why add a life at all?" Dale wondered, stepping closer to Jungkook until he was standing next to him.

"You're a good man, Dale, but you've gotta understand that not everyone in this world is like you. The world changed but people never did. The difference between now and then is that they're not afraid to show who they really are,"Jungkook spoke quietly, his eyes watching the water as it poured into the tub. The boy turned off the hose and looked up into Dale's sad eyes,"What I'm trying to say is, you can be kind but don't be stupid. People aren't faking their humanity anymore. Randall's first instinct was to kill us, that's who he is. And that's who you want to invite into your group."

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Jungkook leaned against the doorframe to the living room in Hershel's house. The whole group were sitting or standing around, patiently waiting for Rick and Lori to come inside.

The door opened with a loud creak, causing Kook to stop chewing on his bottom lip and look up.

Rick and Lori walked inside, the latter stopped at in the doorway while Rick stepped closer to the middle of the room. Carl came out from behind a wall, catching everyone's attention. Rick gave Him a pointed stare, causing the boy to scowl angrily and stomp away. Everyone in the room turned away and looked at each other.

"So how do we do this? Just take a vote?" Glenn broke the silence from where he was sitting- at the piano on Jungkook's left.

"Does it have to be anonymous?" Andrea asked, glancing around the room. She was leaning against the fireplace, that was on the opposite side of Jungkook, and was next to Shane.

Jungkook crosses his arms over his chest and kept quiet, watching the scene unfold. The boy knew what his vote is going to be and he didn't care what the others think about it. He knew what's the safe thing to do.

"Lets just see where everybody stands and then we can talk through the options." Rick spoke up, rubbing his forehead due to stress, before placing his hands on his hips.

Jungkook's eyes flickered over to Shane and a small scowl settled on his lips when he heard him speak for the first time,"The way I see it, there's only one way to move forward."

"Killing him? Right?" Jungkook ran his tongue over his lower lip and turned his attention towards Dale,"Why even bother to take a vote, it's clear which way the winds blow." The older man stepped away from his place in a different doorway, the one on Glenn's left.

Rick shook his head and spoke up as he leaned against one of the couches,"If people believe we should spare him, I wanna know."

"Well I can tell you, it's a small group. Maybe just....me and Glenn." Dale mumbled in defeat.

Jungkook looked at Glenn, his brow raising at the news. The boy pursued his lips when he noticed Glenn gulp and look up at Dale, his face apologetic. Dale saw the look and his face fell as Glenn began to speak,

"Look I...I think you're pretty much right about everything. All the time. But this-"

"They got you scared!" Dale exclaimed, gesturing towards the other group members.

"He's not one of us...and we've lost too many people already."Glenn stated a bit calmer than before, not looking away from Dale.

Dale frowned and gestures towards Jungkook, catching the boy off guard,"He's not one of us either."

Everyone in the room glanced at Gguk, who looked back at them with a blank face. Inside he was feeling nervous and a bit betrayed by what Dale just said, but he didn't want the others to see how anxious he was with all the attention on him. Gguk swallowed, ignoring his sweaty palms and fast beating heart.

"He didn't try to kill us!" Glenn quickly added, making Jungkook's shoulders relax, he was grateful for Glenn defending him and making the group look away.

Dale released a deep sigh through his nose and turned his attention on Maggie,"How about you? Do you agree with this?"

"Couldn't we continue keeping him prisoner?" Maggie looked at Rick, raising a single brow.

Daryl, who was leaning on the other side of the doorway that Gguk was leaning on, shifted and muttered in a gruff voice,"Thats another mouth to feed."

"It may be a lean winter." Hershel added from his seat on the couch. Jungkook shook his head at the group and pushed his hair out of his forehead. The boy couldn't believe that they were actually considering letting Randall stay.

Lori spoke up, gazing at everyone,"We could ration better."

"He could be an asset,"Dale continued, his voice dripping with determination and confidence,"Give him a chance to prove himself."

"Put him to work?" Glenn wondered with furrowed eyebrows.

Jungkook understood that Randall wasn't the only stranger in the group. But the difference between the two was that Jungkook wasn't trying to kill them, while Randall clearly was. So he couldn't understand why they were debating this- the guy tried to kill them, end of the story!

Rick shook his head and interrupted them,"We're not letting him walk around here." His voice was strict as it shot down Dale's argument.

Jungkook sighed, frustrated by what was happening before him. He shut his eyes and leaned his head against the doorframe. If they weren't letting him go, they can't keep him as a pet forever.

"Put an escort on him." Maggie suggested, trying to stay hopeful.

Shane scoffed, catching everyone's attention,"Who wants to volunteer for that duty?"

"I will." Dale jumped at the opportunity, hoping that this would be enough to convince everyone.

Rick sighed and held up a hand,"I don't think any of us should be walking around this guy."

"He's right,"Lori muttered, gaining everyone's attention and causing Jungkook's eyes to flutter open to look at her,"I wouldn't feel safe unless he was tied up."

"We can't exactly put chains around his ankles and sentence him to hard labour." Andrea scoffed at the group, expressing her opinion.

"_Look_,"Shane spoke up, straightening out as everyone's eyes fell on him. Jungkook raised his head and stared at Shane in curiosity, wanting to hear what he's gonna say,"let's say we let him join us. Right? Maybe...maybe he's helpful, maybe he's _nice_," shane hooked his thumbs through his belt loops and continued his speech,"We let our guard down, maybe he runs off, brings back his thirty men."

Shane had a great point and Jungkook had to agree with him. They couldn't risk their lives just to give a guy, who already tried to kill them, a chance.

"So the answer is to kill him, to prevent a crime that he may never even attempt?" Dale asked in disbelief, raising his voice slightly,"If we do this, we're saying there's no hope, the rule of law is dead, there is no civilisation." Jungkook released an unnecessary sight through his nose and turned away.

"Oh my god." Shane muttered, turning around so his back was to Dale.

"Could you drive him further out? Leave him like you planned?" Hershel spoke up, looking up at Rick for an answer.

Lori immediately piped in, rubbing her chest worriedly,"You barely made it back this time. You..you...you could get lost-"

"You could get ambushed." Daryl interrupted her dumb excuse with his more realistic one.

Honestly, Jungkook didn't understand why they were even voting, he knew what everyone's votes would be. These people wouldn't want to live next to someone who can kill them in their sleep. They didn't have to kill Randall themselves, Jungkook can bet, they wouldn't even be there to witness his death. The only person who would feel guilty is the one to pull the trigger. And the people who voted for Randall's death would sweep him out of their minds like a speck of dust.

"We should not put our own people at risk." Glenn muttered under his breath, rubbing a hand through his hair.

A blonde woman, Patricia, spoke up from her position by one of the windows,"If we would go through with it, how would you do it? Would he....suffer?"

Jungkook looked up from the ground, curious about this too. Judging by Rick's character, with a gun, the quickest and most humane way.

Rick and Shane turned to look at each other before the latter spoke up,"We could hang him, right? Snap his neck?" Shane said it so easily as if he was laying in a beach, sunbathing.

Jungkook's eyebrows raised and his lips parted in mild surprise, he sure as hell wasn't expecting something this barbaric. Kook agreed with Shane on not letting Randall live, but hanging him was killing him slowly and painfully was too much.

Even Shane's careless tone and the lack of empathy in his eyes, caused Jungkook to shift on his feet and advert his eyes.

"I thought about that," Rick nodded and glanced at Patricia before looking back at his best friend,"Shooting might be more humane."

Judging by the silence in the room, everyone agreed on Rick's way. Jungkook allowed himself to nod at His words as he relaxed his shoulders and pushed off of the doorframe. His muscles were becoming stiff from being in the position for too long.

"So...,"Jungkook glanced at a dark skinned man that Maggie said was T-Dog,"What about the body? Do w-"

"Ho...Ho...Hold on! Hold on!" Dale was quick to cut him off, staring at him with a mortified face and disbelief filled eyes,"You're talking about this as if it's already decided!"

Jungkook sighed yet again and pinched the bridge of his nose. Truth be told, this process of 'voting' made him want to grab his gun and shoot Randall himself. But Gguk knew he wouldn't be able to pull the trigger. Tony was the first human he's killed, and that was because he tried to kill Gguk. Randall was shooting at him, yes, but right now he was defenceless and Jungkook can't kill someone defenceless.

The more he thought about it, the more he realised how hypocritical he's being. Jungkook was voting for someone to kill Randall while he, himself, wouldn't be able to kill him. Just like these people he would move on from Randall's death and forget about it just because he wasn't the man behind the trigger.

"This is a young man's life!" Jungkook jumped slightly, being ripped out of his thoughts by the scruff of his neck. His dark eyes shot up towards Dale as the man began his speech,"And it is worth more than a five minute conversation!" Dale raised his voice, his words filled with anger and frustration,"Is this what it comes to?! We kill someone because we can't decide what else to do with him?!" The older man exclaims, his eyes shooting from a person to a person.

Jungkook shifted on his feet, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes flickered towards Daryl, who was standing next to him, Kook looked at his expression, trying to see what he was thinking. Yet Daryl's expression was closed off and his eyes were squinted and focused on Dale as he spoke.

Jungkook looked away and turned back to Dale, listening to his every word. The old man turned towards Rick,"And you saved him! And now look at us....he's been tortured, he's gonna be executed! How are we any better than those people we're so afraid of?" Dale trailed off, softer and quieter than before. He turned to look at everyone in the room, but they looked away and avoided his gaze, including Rick, who clenched his jaw.

"We all know what needs to be done."

Kook looked at Shane, his face was stoic and his eyes lacking any remorse. A small shiver ran up Jungkook's spine, causing him to bite his lip to stop himself from shivering in discomfort.

"No, Dale is right." The bunny looking boy snapped his head towards Rick and he was yet again pleasantly surprised by the leader,"We can't leave any stone unturned, we have responsibilit-"

"So what's the other solution?" Andrea cut him off before she was cut off by Lori and her glare,

"Let Rick finish."

Andrea ignored her and continued talking as if Lori's words were an annoying fly, being swatted away from her ear,"We haven't come up with a single liable option yet. I wish we could but-"

"So lets work on it!" Dale cut her off. His voice was loud and filled with frustration, and his words flailed along with his words.

Jungkook's head was starting to hurt from all the shouting and voice raising. It was no secret that he was sensitive to loud noises, especially shouting. Gguk absolutely hated when people yelled, it always caused him to flinch and wince. His parents tried not to raise their voices, but they too sometimes allowed their emotions to slip.

"Stop it,"

Jungkook stopped rubbing his aching temple and looked towards the soft voice echoing throughout the room.

Carol, who was leaning against the wooden door of the front house, looked at Dale before letting her gaze shift to all of them,"Just stop it. I'm sick of everybody arguing and fighting. I didn't ask for this. You can't ask us to decide something like this." Carol said softly, looking into Dale's eyes.

"Please decide, either of you, both of you,"She looked in between Shane and Rick before continuing,"but leave me out." Carol shrugged and continued to lean against the door.

Jungkook inhaled deeply, placing his hands on his small waist before looking at Dale, he knew the man would surely say something. And he was right,

"Not speaking out or killing him yourself- there's no difference." Dale responded, his breath shaky due to all the built up emotions.

For Jungkook, he felt like he was back in school, listening to a lecture on bullying. He shifted on his feet, biting his lip to stop a small smile from appearing on his face.

"Alright that's enough." Rick raised his hand, stopping Dale from saying anything else.

Jungkook was glad that Rick didn't raise his voice but rather the tone of it- stricter and firmer. A small headache was already present, it felt like an annoying brat was poking his skull with a stick, making him feel slight pain and irritation. Jungkook wanted this debate to be over because he knew there was no point to have it, these people have long decided.

"Anybody want the floor before we make the final decision, has the chance." Rick finished by stepping back and allowing someone else to step forward.

A tense silence covered the room like a blanket of snow. Hershel looked down at the floor, his face covered in guilt. Maggie and Patricia sat down on the couches, not a word leaving their lips. T- dog, Andrea and Shane didn't say anything as they stared down at the floor or looked up at everyone in the room. Rick looked towards Lori, getting a shake of head in return. He looked towards Daryl but the man didn't say anything, giving him the answer he needed.

Lastly, Rick's eyes fell on Jungkook, who was chewing on his lip and looking down at the floor. The boy felt Rick's eyes on him, making him look up and give him a barely noticeable head shake.

Dale fondled his hat anxiously, his face falling after seeing the replies from his people. He sucked in a deep breath before looking at Rick,"You..you once said we don't kill the living!"

"Yeah, that was before the living tried to kill us." Rick calmly responded, not fazed by Dale's words.

"But don't you see that if we do this, the people that we were, the...the world that we knew is dead!" Dale exclaimed, his voice trembling with hurt and his eyes burning with unshed tears,"And this new world is ugly, it's.............harsh. It's...its...it's the survival of the fittest!" Dale ran a hand across his face before shifting around and looking at everyone,"And that's not a world I want to live in. And I don't...I don't believe that any of you do! I can't." Tears burned Dale's eyes and his voice trembled,"Please, lets just do what's right."

Jungkook's eyes were glued to the ground. Guilt and remorse traveled up his spine and wrapped around his throat, squeezing tightly. For a second, Gguk wanted to go back on his words and vote for Randall to live. Decisions like this made Jungkook realise how much he's truly changed. The old him would never vote for Randall to die, but this Jungkook was thinking about survival, no matter the cost.

The tension and silence in the room increased when no one said anything. Everyone avoided looking at Dale and his piercing gaze, instead, they looked down at the ground.

Dale's face fell even more, if it's possible, and he allowed his shoulders to slouch in defeat,"Ain't there anybody else who's gonna stand with me?"

Jungkook squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath before opening them and looking up at Dale. If he was going to vote for Randall to die, he had to be sure about his decision and he had to stand by it. He couldn't look down at the floor in shame, he had to stand tall.

The silence in the room went disturbed and Jungkook was sure it would stay that way. Until Andrea spoke up while looking at Dale,"he's right."

Dale's eyes snapped towards her and his whole face lit up with relief, they stared at each other with soft eyes before Andrea looked away and addressed the group,"We should find another way."

Jungkook didn't agree with their votes but he respected their opinions on the topic. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked around the room, waiting for someone else to be moved by Dale's passionate speech about humanity.

"Anybody else?" Rick asked, looking around the room, only to receive silence in return.

Rick nodded before turning to face Dale. The latter's eyes gathered up even more tears and a bitter smile appeared on his face. Dale scoffed before looking up at the group, his eyes burning with untamed fire,"Are y'all gonna watch too?" Dale mocked before scoffing yet again,"Nah, you're gonna go hide your heads in your tents and forget that we're slaughtering a human being."

Dale inhaled sharply and let out a loud huff as he frantically shook his head,"I won't be a part of this."

Dale turned around and began to leave the room. Jungkook saw him coming in his and Daryl's direction, making him step aside so that he could leave. As Dale walked past Daryl, he stopped and placed his hand on Daryl's shoulder,

"This group is broken."


	9. Execution

A soft breeze ran across the empty fields, dancing through leaves and tall grass until it reached the boy standing in front of Hershel's house. The breeze ran over his exposed arms and ruffled his caramel coloured locks, making him shiver due to the cold.

The sun had long set, the only light coming from the bright moon in the sky. Jungkook's head snapped up once he heard the sound of multiple footsteps and Randall's shallow breathing.

Rick, Shane and Daryl were guiding Randall towards an empty barn, while the boy was spitting out question after question.

Jungkook ran towards them, quickly catching up. Daryl heard him coming, making him look over his shoulder and shoot Gguk a glare. The boy slowed down once he was walking next to rick, causing the leader to stop walking and look down at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"I'm coming with you." Jungkook spoke fiercely, his dark eyes piercing Rick's blue ones.

"Jungko-" Rick started, slowly shaking his head.

The boy knew where this conversation was going, making him cut rick off and speak yet again. He stepped closer to the older man and lowered his voice,"I voted for him to die. I'm going to be there and look him in the eyes as he takes his last breath."

Rick kept quiet, only stared down at Gguk with a blank expression. Shane rolled his eyes and marched up to the two, glancing in between them,"Rick." Shane spoke firmly, shaking his head.

"Let's go." Rick ignored him and turned around. He grabbed Randall again and continued to walk to the barn.

Jungkook looked towards Shane, only to catch him already glaring back at him. Shane's eyes squinted in distrust before he scoffed in Gguk's face and turned around, walking after the other three.

Jungkook released a deep exhale and tried to ignore the way his heart pounded in his chest. He quickly caught up to the group as they pushed open the barn door and entered it.

"Hold on, hold on, hold on!" Randall kept repeating, looking at Rick with pleading eyes.

Rick ignored him and pointed at the middle of the barn,"Put him over there."

The sheriff lit and placed a lantern somewhere in the room, providing enough light to see inside the barn. Jungkook walked behind Daryl, watching as Shane wrapped a cloth around Randall's eyes, preventing him from seeing anything.

"It's all gonna be over soon." Shane muttered in Randall's ear before stepping away from him.

Jungkook stepped further in the room, his feet carrying him over hay and dust before he stopped right in front of Randall. The latter was crying loudly, small '_no's_' leaving his cracked lips.

Daryl was standing behind Randall on the right, while Shane stood behind him on the left. Rick took out his gun as he walked up to stand in front of the Randall, to Jungkook's right.

Jungkook's heart was pounding in his chest and his hands were trembling, causing him to squeeze his fists shut until his fingernails dig into his skin.

Rick loaded his gun before looking at the sobbing boy. He stared at him for a few seconds before speaking up,"Would you like to stand or kneel?" Rick asked, trying not to think about what he's gonna do.

As he listened to Randall's sobs and whimpers, Jungkook's head started to feel hazy and his skin gained a thin layer of sweat. He couldn't believe he would be responsible for killing a defenceless person. He couldn't believe he was about to witness Randall being shot to death.

Randall was shaking, his breathing was sharp and shallow as he tried to look around, yet the blindfold prevented him from doing so. His forehead dripped with sweat and his lips wobbled as whimpers escaped his throat,"No, no, please, please."

Daryl walked up to him and harshly pushed him to his knees, making Randall wince and cry out in pain,"Ow."

Jungkook swallowed thickly, not being able to turn away from the, now, fully sobbing boy. Guilt and remorse bubbled up in his stomach, travelling up until it reached his throat. Jungkook felt sick, his throat tightened, making him feel like he was about to throw up.

"Do you have any final words?" Rick asked, shifting from foot to foot as he gazed down at Randall.

The boy continued to sob and cry, his breathing quickening. He barely managed to push out his words due to all the sobs leaving his throat,"No, please, please don't, don't."

Jungkook's own breathing grew more shallow as he watched Rick raise his gun and aim it at Randall's forehead. Kook stopped breathing, his eyes frozen on Randall's trembling body as Rick held a gun against his forehead. Jungkook bit his bottom lip, digging his fingernails into his palms even more as he tried to prepare himself for the gunshot.

Rick hesitated, his eyes staring at a sobbing Randall. He gripped the gun tighter, his lips parting as he slowly exhaled. Rick's finger almost didn't seem to move as his mind began to question his own decision.

No one seemed to notice a small body entering the barn and looking at the scene in front of him. That is, until he spoke up,

"Do it, dad, do it!"

Jungkook snapped his head towards Carl, who was staring up at Rick with cold eyes. Kook’s brows drew together and his lips parted in shock at what the boy was saying. Jungkook shook his head, allowing a cold mask to fall over his expression, hiding the disbelief he felt inside.

Rick's eyes widened slightly before they shifted away from Randall and towards Carl's direction, and after a few second they fell on Shane. The latter quickly got over his shock and marched up to Carl.

"Are you kidding me? What I say to you? What'd I say to you?" Shane muttered lowly as he grabbed Carl by his arm and pulled him out of the barn.

Jungkook's eyes shifted from the two before focusing on Rick. He noticed the way His hand began to tremble and his expression fell. Jungkook stared at Rick's facial expression and the doubt clouding his eyes before his arm fell to his side.

Jungkook inhaled sharply and spared a glance at Randall, who was sitting on his knees, sobbing pitifully.

Rick glanced at Carl and shook his head, he turned away to look at Randall,"Take him away." Rick muttered under his breath before raising his voice,"Take him away."

Shane stopped walking and looked back at Rick in surprise, Carl, too, looked up at his dad, his eyes wide and his lips parted.

Jungkook stared at Rick with wide eyes and raised eyebrows, his fists unclenched and his shoulders relaxed at Rick's words. Kook felt the guilt in his throat wash away like the dirt that once covered his skin. The weight on his shoulder disappeared and his mind became clear.

Daryl marched up to Randall and commanded in a gruff voice,"Get up." Before pulling him up to his feet.

Shane clenched his jaw and turned around, slamming the barn door open in anger and stomping away. Daryl pulled a whimpering Randall out of the barn, leaving behind the Rick, Carl and Jungkook.

Rick stared at Carl, his face covered in disbelief and slight pain. Carl stared back, his eyes shinning with innocence and confusion, not understanding what he did wrong.

Carl turned around and ran away, back to the house. Rick's gaze dropped down to the floor as he placed his gun back into place. The leader's emotions were numbed and his mind was blank as he tried to push past the wall of shock gathered around his mind like a thick curtain of fog.

Jungkook noticed the conflicted expression on Rick's face, causing him to bite his lip and think of what to say. Jungkook allowed Rick to process what just happened before he calmly walked up to him, stopping next to him.

"Rick." Jungkook muttered softly, trying to catch his attention. Rick licked his lips, exhaling sharply before looking up at Jungkook, his expression hard. Jungkook stared at him for a few second before mumbling softly,"You shouldn't be ashamed that you weren't able to end someone's life."

Jungkook's eyes were focused on the campfire in front of him, the heat coming from the fire bit at his pale skin, scaring away the cold   
  


⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Jungkook's eyes were focused on the campfire in front of him, the heat coming from the fire bit at his pale skin, scaring away the cold. The black jacket Maggie gave him kept him warm and safe from the cold night's air.

After the whole ordeal with Randall, everyone came back to the camp. Rick went to talk to his wife, Lori, while Carol invited Jungkook to sit down at the fire and warm up. After a few minutes, Rick joined him and sat down on the chair next to him with Lori by his side.

Jungkook's mind kept flashing back to the events that have happened these couple of days and truth be told, he was overwhelmed.

Kook’s mind was slowly shutting down, being filled to the brim with unnecessary thoughts, and his eyes began to droop, too heavy to stay open. His head tilted forward and once it began to fall, Gguk snapped his head back up and looked up at Lori, who was trying to hide a smile.

The bunny looking boy leaned more in his chair and allowed his head to lean back against it. His eyes slowly shut and his breathing slowed. Jungkook felt warm as the heat from the fire caressed his skin and the silence in the camp gently kissed his ears.

Out of nowhere, A blood curling scream shattered the peaceful atmosphere, causing Jungkook to jerk awake and freeze in his spot. His eyes grew wide as the screaming continued, piercing his ears and pounding against his skull.

Jungkook jumped up to his feet, along with Lori and Rick. Gguk turned towards Rick, not knowing what to do. The latter told Lori to get Carl before pulling out a knife and pushing it into Jungkook's palm,

"Take this," Rick muttered quickly before turning around and shouting at T-Dog,"T,Dog, grab the shotgun!"

Jungkook glanced down at the knife in his hand, only to stare down at his own knife. The last time he'd seen it was when Rick asked him for his stuff.

A soft breeze ran across Jungkook's skin as Rick ran past him, causing him put the knife away and run after the leader.

Jungkook's muscled ached and his breathing grew heavy as he followed after Rick. The screams tore through the air, successfully guiding Jungkook towards the person in danger. Gguk squinted his eyes, trying to see through the darkness as he ran through the open field, closer and closer to the loud wails.

Jungkook noticed flashlights shining a bit away from him as others ran in the same direction, trying to help the screaming person. Gguk pushed forward, ignoring the heaviness in his legs and the shallow breaths escaping his chapped lips.

"Help! Over here!"

Daryl's voice pierced through the field, Jungkook squinted his eyes and noticed his him raising his arms and flailing them in the air, trying to get their attention.

Rick and Jungkook picked up their speed and ran faster. They quickly reached Daryl and the person laying on the ground, Rick slowed down and dropped down to the floor.

As soon as Gguk saw who was the person on the ground, he visibly paled and stumbled back as if someone had backhanded him and called him a bitch.

Dale.

He was laying in the middle of the empty field, moonlight shining on him, illuminating his body. Dale's stomach was ripped open, blood gashing out and guts visible to everyone. Pain filled moans escaped his lips, and his eyes were blown wide open with shock and pain.

"Alright..alright....just...just listen to my voice....listen to my voice." Rick leaned over Dale's body, grabbing his face in between his hands, trying to keep him awake.

Jungkook felt sick, bile rose up in his throat, making him gag before his hand to flew up to his mouth to prevent himself from throwing up. He adverted his eyes to the ground as Shane and Andrea reached Dale's body.

Andrea gasped and fell down to the ground. Her mouth fell open in shock and tears immediately found their way into her eyes. Dale's eyes tried to stay on Rick or Andrea, but they seemed to go dull and unfocused after a few seconds.

"Get Hershel!" Rick shouted, glancing over his shoulder.

Jungkook swallowed down the bile in his throat and looked behind them, towards the people running over to them,"W..we need Hershel!" He shouted loudly, his voice echoing throughout the field.

Rick stumbled up, looked over the group, trying to find Hershel. Andrea crawled over to Dale and looked down at him with teary eyes and soft smile,"Hang on, Dale. Just hang on."

Rick turned back to Dale, trying to catch his attention,"Look at me, Dale, stay awake" Dale stared up at Rick with wide eyes, the only sound leaving him were gasps of pain and whimpers.

"Hershel!" Jungkook cupped his mouth and screamed again.

Glenn and Lori finally reached the group, immediately freezing in their spots once they saw Dale. After a second, Hershel reached them and looked down at Dale.

"What happened?" He asked with wide eyes.

Jungkook turned back to look at Dale, his mouth falling down into a frown. Dale was laying motionless, not moving an inch as he kept releasing shallow gasps. Hershel looked down at Dale, analysing his wound.

"Can...can we move him?" Rick asked, looking into Hershel's eyes.

Hershel shook his head grimly,"He won't make the trip."

"We have to do the operation here." Rick mumbled lowly before looking up at the group,"Everyone, get back to the house!" He stumbled up and pointed at the house.

"Rick!" Hershel grabbed his shoulder, stopping him from doing anything else. Rick's eyes shifted to Hershel, watching as the latter slowly shook his head. Hershel's face was grim and his lips were pulled down into a straight line, giving Rick the answer he needed.

"No, no, NO!" Rick shouted, turning around the circle and gripping his hair anxiously. Jungkook visibly winced from his reaction and turned his gaze towards his dirt covered boots.

He chewed on his bottom lip, making it ache and bleed a bit, Gguk released his lip and ran a tongue over it. His nose scrunching up as he finally noticed the metallic scent in the air before it ripped through his nostrils.

Andrea broke down in sobs, tears streamed down her face as she leaned over Dale's groaning body. Glenn's face scrunched up in a grimace and a few tears escaped his eyes. Everyone around shifted their eyes away, allowing tears to flow freely and small cries to leave their lips.

Jungkook didn't know Dale, not like these people, but he did know that Dale was a good man and he didn't deserve this fate. Dale was right, this world was disgusting and cruel, it ripped away a good man, leaving a hole in the hearts of those who knew him.

Dale continued to choke on his breaths, his face scrunched because of all the pain he was in. His eyes rolled back in his head and his body trembled, the only sound leaving him were whimpers and groans.

"He's suffering." Andrea murmured, her eyes swollen and red. Jungkook looked up at Rick, knowing that they can't leave Dale to die in agony.

"Do something!" Andrea turned around and screamed, thinking the same thing as Jungkook.

Shane turned his eyes away, running a hand over his face. Jungkook watched with parted lips and sympathy as Rick shakily pulled out his gun and reluctantly raised it to Dale's head.

"Oh god." Andrea gasped, her teary eyes shifting away from Dale and her hand flying up to cover her mouth.

Rick's hand shook and his eyes teared up as he gazed into Dale's eyes. He gripped the gun tighter, trying to be strong and pull the trigger, but his body wasn't cooperating. Dale looked at Rick, choking on his own shallow breaths, awaiting for death and the end of his misery.

Jungkook bit his lip, sucking in a deep breath as Rick's face fell and his lower lip began to wobble, his arm slowly lowered before another hand reached out and took the gun out of Rick's palm.

Rick snapped his head towards Daryl in surprise, yet still allowed him to take the gun. Jungkook shakily reached out and rubbed Rick's back in comfort as his head hung low in grief and shame.

Gguk swallowed thickly before clenching his jaw, his eyes slowly drifted over to Daryl once he knew that he was ready for what was about to come. The latter kneeled down next to Dale and put the end of the gun against his forehead.

Dale looked up at Daryl, his face twisting into acceptance as he choked on his own blood. For a second, Jungkook noticed a silent understanding and mutual respect pass between Daryl and Dale. Daryl hesitated for a moment before murmuring in a soft voice,

"Sorry, brother."

Jungkook flinched and averted his eyes as a loud gunshot pierced his ears.


	10. Can’t touch this

_Dale was dead_.

The group was having a funeral to honour him. Jungkook didn't feel like he knew Dale well enough to be standing next to the people that did. He felt as if the only moments that they spent together were spent disagreeing over Randall. That's how he remembered Dale- a man brave enough to stand against a whole group of people with completely different opinions. Maybe Jungkook didn't know Dale that well, but he did know that Dale was the epitome of what was left of humanity.

Jungkook watched from afar, his back pressed against a tree, causing the roughy branches to dig into his skin. The sun shone brightly, trying to break through the leaves of the tree and get to the boy.

Jungkook watched as Rick gave a speech, while everyone tried to stay strong and not cry. He allowed his eyes to drop down to the ground as he pulled out his knife and twirled it between his fingers.

Gguk's mind ran wild with thoughts and memories of Dale. Even thought Dale's role in his life was brief, he already left his mark on Jungkook. The boy wondered how would Dale influence the person he was if they'd know each other for a while longer.

The sound of leaves crunching under a pair of boots, caused Jungkook to look away from his dagger and up to the source of the sound.

Rick was steadily making his way towards Jungkook, one hand on the hilt of his gun and the other loosely hanging by his side. The funeral was over and everyone went to do something. Rick made his way towards Jungkook and leaned against the tree next to him.

Jungkook raised an eyebrow, watching the leader with curiosity. Rick released a small sigh as he gazed at his group from the distance.

"You okay?" Jungkook asked before his eyes traveled down to the knife dancing between his fingers. Even though his tone was calm and impassive, Jungkook truly did care if Rick was alright.

Rick looked towards Jungkook, sparing a glance towards the knife in his hand,"I should be asking you that, I'm not sure how you deal with....death."

Jungkook hummed, placing his knife away before turning his body to fully face Rick. Gguk licked his lips and ran his hand through his messy hair. He looked into Rick's eyes before looking away ,"You know, before all this I...I wasn't used to it. People dying," A bittersweet smile appeared on Gguk's face as he gazed at the open fields of the farm. He released a deep sigh, enjoying the way the gently breeze played with his brown locks,"I guess I wasn't exposed to the real world. Truth be told, people didn't start dying when the apocalypse started. People have been dying long before that, wether it's from cancer, a simple car crash or just suffocating on your own food. Nobody just cared about death until it touched their loved ones."

Jungkook looked at Rick, who seemed to be watching him with interest. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave Gguk a nod, signalling that he was listening,"I...I realise it now- death has always been a part of our lives. We can't live forever. Each and every one of us will eventually die. Wether it's from an infected, the living or just old age. Its just that....I don't even know why we're trying anymore," Jungkook whispered quietly, thinking that Rick won't hear....but he did.

Rick nodded and looked away, his brows furrowing as he pondered over Jungkook's words. The boy himself shut his eyes and leaned against the tree, enjoying the wind and sun on his skin.

"You're right," Jungkook peeled his eyes open and looked towards Rick with raised eyebrows, the latter stared at him for a few seconds before speaking,"We're all gonna die. You knew long before this that you would die, even if it's from old age. Yet it never stopped you from living." Jungkook furrowed his brows in confusion, latching onto every word leaving Rick's lips,"You can never prepare yourself for dying, Jungkook, but you can enjoy every single second on this messed up world and do everything in your power to stay alive for as long as you can. The thing is, you don't have to fight alone for survival anymore, you're one of us now. You're a part of this group."

Rick's lips tilted up into a small smile, he reached out and placed a gentle hand on Jungkook's shoulder. Gguk allowed himself to look over Rick's shoulder to the rest of the group. All of them were moving around and doing something, while some were simply conversating, briefly forgetting about their grief.

"I hope you don't turn out to be some type of cannibals who only accepted me because I look like a snack." Jungkook muttered under his breath, earning himself a gruff chuckle from Rick.

Rick rolled his eyes with a smile, taking his hand back before turning around and walking towards the group,"I want you to come with me and Daryl to let Randall loose." Jungkook's eyes widened before he dashed after the sheriff, question after question shooting past his lips.

"Jungkook's eyes widened before he dashed after the sheriff, question after question shooting past his lips 

Jungkook reached out and picked up a backpack filled with supplies. He swung it over his shoulders before bending down and picking up a box full of canned food and water. Jungkook huffed as he straightened out and pulled the heavy box up to his chest.

Lori, who was standing next to him, pulled a blue box out of the back of the truck and picked it up. Jungkook gave her a look and a frown, silently telling her to pick something lighter.

T-Dog came out of Hershel's house and once he Lori carrying the heavy box, he quickly took it away from her,"Woah, woah, woah, don't strain yourself."

"Thank you," Lori murmured as T-Dog and Gguk began to walk towards the White House. She looked over her shoulder and called out,"Rick, Carl and I are taking the corner of the living room."

Jungkook followed after T-Dog but he was interrupted by Hershel coming out of nowhere and opening the door for them,"You can put that in my room, you'll be more comfortable there."

T-Dog nodded and Jungkook spared Hershel a glance before slipping past the door and entering the house. Jungkook was quick to get inside and find an empty corner by the fireplace. He set the box down before taking off the backpack and placing it down on the ground. Jungkook turned around and walked back outside.

As soon as Jungkook left the house, Hershel's voice reached his ears,"-pregnant woman, child, sleeping on the floor while I've got a bed to myself?"

Jungkook froze in his tracks, his mouth flew open and his eyes grew in size as he stared at Lori. The boy looked comical, standing still as a statue with his face twisted in pure shock,"You...you're _preggers_?"

Jungkook stuttered, his wide eyes travelling down to Lori's flat stomach. Lori bit her lip, a forced smile appearing on her face as sadness clouded her eyes.

"I...wow....how'd _that_ happen?" Jungkook mumbled under his breath, his eyes still focusing on Lori's stomach before she placed her hand on it. Gguk blinked away his shock and blushed in embarrassment, scratching the back of his head as he looked away,"Well, I know how it happened but I don't know _how_ it happened happened. Do you get it? I feel like you don't get it. I mean.....sorry, I'm a bit shocked over here. I...I don't really know how to interact with....people, especially _pregnant_....people." Jungkook kept rambling, his face growing redder by the second and his words gaining a hint accent as he grew more nervous and awkward.

Lori's face erupted into a small smile as she released a breathy chuckle, amused by the boy's antics. Hershel allowed himself to smile as he reached out and patted Jungkook's shoulder in comfort. Gguk stopped talking and bit his bottom lip, trying to avoid their eyes and get rid of the blush covering his chubby cheeks.

Hershel turned his attention back on Lori, trying to make Jungkook feel less anxious after his rambling,"I'll take the couch downstairs. On nights when I came home reeking of bourbon, my wife would lock the bedroom door." Hershel told with a small smile adoring his wrinkly face. Gguk and Lori listened to him intensely, both staring at him with interest,"Sad to say, that couch and I became old friends." Jungkook didn't even notice the way his lips tugged up in the corner or the way he didn't jump when Hershel patted him on the back.

T-dog came out from the house and grabbed another box from the truck. He grinned slightly, playfulness coating his words as he spoke,"If you can't decide, I'll take it."

Jungkook looked at him with a raised eyebrow before his lips tilted up and he released an amused scoff. T-dog grinned before shooting them an innocent look and walking back towards the house.

"Thank you." Lori murmured, sending Hershel a grateful smile as she laid her hand on his shoulder.

Jungkook turned towards the boxes in the truck and picked one of the bigger ones up. His muscles ached as he picked the box up, Gguk sucked in a deep breath and allowed his brows to draw together before he began walking.

Hershel glanced over towards T-Dog, before he entered the house, and called out,"The couch is mine!"

T-Dog mumbled something under his breath, making Jungkook snicker as he followed after the grumpy Male.

T-Dog mumbled something under his breath, making Jungkook snicker as he followed after the grumpy Male

Jungkook sat cross crossed in the back of the blue truck. His eyes were glaring at the crossbow laying right in front of him as his fingers itched to reach out and trace the delicate carvings in the bow.

"What'd my crossbow to to ye', kid?" A gruff voice cut through the air, startling Jungkook and making him jump.

Gguk snapped his head to his right and found Daryl leaning against the blue truck, his eyes strained on the map in his hands. Jungkook swallowed thickly, running the tips of his fingers over the hem of his jeans. He spared a glance towards the crossbow before looking back at Daryl's back.

"It...it's cool." Jungkook muttered, feeling his cheeks heat up due to embarrassment.

Daryl looked at him briefly, his eyebrows raising as an unimpressed look took over his features. Jungkook bit his lip anxiously, feeling the awkward atmosphere cage in on him.

Daryl nodded briefly before looking down at the map. Jungkook turned back to stare at the crossbow, his eyes darted over to Daryl, who seemed to be entranced by what was written on the map. Jungkook ran his tongue over his bottom lip before raising his hand and reaching out towards the crossbow.

Before Jungkook's fingertips could brush against the bow, Daryl's gruff voice interrupted him,"No touching."

Jungkook's eyes shot towards him and he stared at Daryl's back with wide eyes. Gguk pouted, his hand lowering slightly,"Bu...but-"

"No touching." Daryl repeated, putting the map away before turning around.

Jungkook quickly pulled his hand back as Daryl reached into the truck and pulled the crossbow out. Gguk watched with wide eyes filled with admiration as Daryl effortlessly swung the crossbow over his shoulder.

"_Woah_." Jungkook breathed out, his lips parting as he kept staring at Daryl and his crossbow.

Daryl, in return, glanced at a dazed Jungkook and sent him another unimpressed look. He rolled his eyes before turning towards Rick and T-Dog who were walking in their direction.

Jungkook blinked away his small trance and forced his eyes to look over to Rick. The leader stopped in front of the truck, glancing in between Gguk and Daryl before his eyes settled on the latter,

"Ready?" Rick asked, causing Daryl to give him a firm nod. The leader turned his attention towards Jungkook, making the boy give him a few sharp nods.

T-Dog stepped behind the blue truck and shut the back of it was a hard slam. Jungkook spared him a glance, watching as he straightened out and began to walk towards the barn Randall was in,"I'll get the package."

Rick nodded briefly before turning to look at Gguk and Daryl. The later was analysing Jungkook while the boy wasn't looking, Daryl's eyes were squinted and his brows were drawn together.

Daryl looked over to Rick, only to see him already staring at him with raised eyebrows,"You sure you want to take him with us?"

Jungkook snapped his head towards Rick and Daryl, an offended look covering his features,"I'm sitting right next to you!"

Rick hummed in amusement, walking around the truck to get inside. Daryl rolled his eyes before calling out to Rick,"He easily gets distracted by his own thoughts, how'd ya' know he won't get himself killed?"

Jungkook didn't notice that he pouted while he released an offended scoff and slouched again the side of the truck.

Daryl rolled his eyes yet again before Rick spoke up, his voice serious,"Because he has us to look out for him."

Jungkook looked up towards Rick, his eyes growing wide with surprise. Rick sent him a small smile as he opened to car's door and was about to get inside. Jungkook looked down at his hands, playing with his fingers while allowing his lips to tilt up into a genuine smile.

Jungkook jerked up when loud, panicked shouts tore through the air, piercing thought his ears,

"Rick! Rick! He's gone! Randall's gone!"

_And with that, the peaceful moment was shattered and everyone was running towards the barn._


	11. Randall’s magic trick

_Gone_.

Randall was gone.

_Chaos_

The camp was in chaos.

_Confused_.

Jungkook felt confused, he didn't understand how Randall got out of those metal handcuffs or how he'd gotten out of the locked shed without touching the lock. Jungkook was confused because he didn't understand how Randall got away with so little effort.

Randall had done the impossible- escaped from a locked barn without breaking through the lock or the wooden walls. Randall's effortless disappearance reminded Jungkook of the magic trick he had witnessed when he was 11. When he watched a man get in a box with a lock and be gone when the box was opened again.

People around Gguk were panicking, looking around the area as if someone would jump out and attack them with a knife. Rick, Daryl, Hershel and Andrea were trying to stay calm for the sake of the group. They were analysing the barn, trying to put together the pieces of what happened. Because they, too, were confused.

Jungkook shifted on his feet before making his way over the barn's door. He reached his hand forward and ran it over the side of the door, trying to find any trace of forced exit. But he felt nothing but the smooth edge of the wooden doorframe.

"How'd he get out without breaking through the lock?" Jungkook turned to face Rick, the question falling past his lips as he did so.

The leader ran his hand through his hair, deep in thought. Gguk noticed something flash through his eyes...something like realisation before it was covered up with a gallon of denial. Rick shook his head, looking up at everyone,"I don't know, but we'll find him."

"RICK! RICK!"

Jungkook's head immediately jerked in the direction of the anger filled yells before he tensed when he saw Shane marching over to them. His nose was twisted into a weird angle and blood poured out of it, trailing down his face. Gguk cringed at the sight of his broken nose and the blood covering his face. It reminded Jungkook of his cousin who was once splashed in the face with ketchup.

Everyone's attention turned to Shane as he continued to march over, his eyes filled with anger and malice. Rick immediately stepped forward, his brown furrowed in confusion before his face twisted into a stoic expression.

Jungkook glanced over at the faces of everyone in the camp, coming across some looks of confusion, fear, surprise and concern. But as his eyes landed on Daryl's, he found the man staring at Shane with squinted eyes and no emotion

"What happened?" Lori shouted, stepping forward to get a better look of Shane's injury.

"He's armed! He's got my gun!" Shane shouted back, still walking towards them in full speed.

Carl looked at him with wide eyes as he asked,"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine! Little bastard just snuck up on me! Cocked me in the face!" Shane growled through gritted teeth, yet something about this situation caused Jungkook's stomach to churn.

Gguk kept quiet as he took a cautious step back, his eyes not leaving Shane's form. As if he felt Gguk's stare on him, Shane's eyes snapped towards him. Jungkook's eyes connected with Shane's and his face twisted into a look Gguk couldn't despair her. Jungkook felt a trail of goosebumps go up his spine, causing him to shiver before he looked away from Shane.

Jungkook could feel Shane's eyes digging into the side of his head, causing his hands to tremble due to an unknown emotion bubbling up in his chest. His skin glistened as a thin layer of sweat appeared on his pale skin before he released the breath he didn't know he was holding, when Shane looked away to look at Rick.

"Alright, Hershel, T-Dog, get everyone back in the house." Rick ordered the two, his whole frame or changing into the one of a true leader. Rick turned his attention towards a selected few in the group, addressing them,"Glenn, Daryl, Jungkook, come with us."

The said boy jerked his head up and stared at Rick in surprise, not understanding why the leader chose him, a stranger, to go with them and retrieve Randall.

Despite the confusion, Jungkook turned towards Glenn, when he offered him a gun, and took it. Gguk glanced down at the gun in his palm, enjoying the familiar weight of it as he held it. A small smile tugged at his lips before he masked it with a look of determination.

"T, imma need that gun." Shane called out as he approached T-dog and took his gun.

Carol looked in between the group before speaking up, her eyes strained on Rick,"Just let him go, that was the plan, wasn't it?"

"The plan was to cut him loose far away from here, not in our front step with a gun!" Rick exclaimed, his tone swirling with anger and frustration yet a hint determination.

Jungkook put the gun in the waistband of his jeans before walking closer to Glenn and standing next to him. He waited patiently as Rick turned around and began to lead the group towards the forest Shane walked out of.

Jungkook looked back at carol as she called out,"Don't go out there, you don't know what can happen!"

Gguk shook his head and looked forward, following after Daryl, Rick and Shane.

"Get everybody back in the house! Lock all the doors and stay put!" Rick gave a one last order before the group of five entered the forest.

"I saw him head up in the trees that way before I blacked out,"Shane pointed at a direction to their left as he guided the group through the forest.

Jungkook looked at the direction before he turned his eyes back on Shane. Gguk can be dense sometimes, sometimes he couldn't catch on so quickly as other, but the thing that Gguk could trust were his instincts. And in this situation, his instincts were screaming that something wasn't right. Even thought Jungkook is dense, he's not that stupid to realise that some things didn't add up. And it was all connected with Shane.

He was getting weird vibes from the guy from the second he saw him. Jungkook just didn't know what it was, he still doesn't, but he knew that this foreign feeling is stronger than ever before.

Gguk had a hunch that Randall's disappearance had something to do with Shane. Maybe he tried to release him but Randall got the upper hand and escaped? Maybe Shane was ashamed and didn't know how to approach the situation so he lied about Randall jumping him?

Jungkook kept thinking and pondering over the situation, trying to see the many possibiblies surrounding Randall's escape. Being so lost in his thoughts, Gguk missed Rick's and Shane's conversation. That is, before his name was mention and he was ripped out of his thoughts,

"-nd Jungkook start heading up the right way, me and Shane will take the left." Rick ordered, pointing in the direction of Jungkook's right.

Gguk watched awkwardly, a bit confused about what they were talking about and what he had to do since he didn't hear the most part of it. Daryl released a small groan and gestured for Jungkook to come to him and Glenn, but before he could take a step towards them, Shane grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

Jungkook stumbled back in shock, almost falling over from the force of the pull. His face twisted into a painful grimace when Shane's grip on his hand tightened to the point of leaving a bruise.

"I think he should head with us." Shane looked at Rick, something unrecognisable flashing over his eyes.

Jungkook swallowed thickly, noticing the atmosphere around the group change as Rick and Shane held eye contact. A shiver traveled down his spine and Jungkook swallowed thickly, looking in between Rick and Shane who didn't do anything except stare at each other. Shane's grip on his bicep tightened even more and his nails tug into Jungkook's arm, causing him to wince and hiss in pain.

The sound of barely audible footsteps reached Jungkook's ears, making him look to his left. Daryl was steadily making his way over to the two, his grip on the crossbow tightening while his eyes remained on Shane.

"Daryl, Glenn and Jungkook, you head up the right way while me and Shane go the left." Rick repeated, his eye contact with Shane not wavering as the words left his lips.

Jungkook glanced in between them, his bottom lip caught between his teeth as he chewed on it, trying to ignore the pain in his arm from Shane's grip. For a second, Shane's grip tightened even more, making Jungkook tense and suck in a deep breath. But as soon as it did, Shane gave Rick a nod and let go of his arm completely.

As soon as his arm was free from Shane's grip, Jungkook stumbled back, only to bump into Daryl who wasn't standing that far away. Jungkook sent him a sheepish expression, but Daryl didn't see it since he was busy watching Shane.

"Jesus." Glenn murmured under his breath, running a shaky hand through his hair.

"Let's go." Daryl spoke lowly before turning around and heading in the direction Rick told them to go.

Jungkook turned around and followed after Daryl, but not before looking back at Rick and Shane, only to see them already walking away. Jungkook released a deep breath and squeezed his hands into fists, trying to stop them from shaking.

Jungkook released a deep breath and squeezed his hands into fists, trying to stop them from shaking 

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

The sun had set, leaving the group in the dark. This time not even the glow of the moon could pierce through the thick curtain of leaves above their heads.

Jungkook squinted his eyes, trying to see through the darkness. His nose scrunched up in annoyance as his foot caught on a branch, nearly causing him to fall. Glenn snickered under his breath, only to try to mask it with a small cough.

Jungkook rolled his eyes and smacked him upside the head, getting a small hiss in return. Glenn glared at Gguk through the darkness and poked him in the side of his stomach, causing Jungkook to jerk away. Gguk snapped his head towards Glenn and slapped his raised hand away, a look of irritation covering his features. Glenn released a scoff and slapped Jungkook's hand in return. The two boys continued slapping each other, turning from painless slaps to loud and harsh ones in mere seconds.

"What the hell are you two doing?"

The two froze mid slaps and slowly turned towards Daryl as he stood in front of them. Even thought Jungkook couldn't see his expression through the darkness, he knew Daryl was confused and irritated by their childish behaviour.

Jungkook awkwardly cough and continued to walk,"Nothing." Glenn kept quiet as he followed after Gguk, continuing to walk side by side with him.

Daryl rolled his eyes and pushed past the two boys, leading the group forward. He squinted his eyes, looking down at the ground for any tracks Randall left behind.

"You can track too?" Jungkook wondered out loud, following after Daryl as his curiosity inflated like a balloon.

Truth be told, Jungkook admired Daryl. He wished he was more like the Male in front of him. He admired Daryl's cold and intimidating aura, his crossbow and tracking skills, plus he, too, wanted to be as respected as Daryl.

Daryl only responded with a small grunt, completely ignoring the younger boy since he focused on tracking. Jungkook hummed, sparing Glenn a glance before turning his attention back on Daryl.

"So.....can you teach me too?"

Daryl snapped his head towards Jungkook, his expression morphing into a look of disbelief before he masked it with a cold facade,"No."

"Come _on_, why not?" Jungkook unconsciously whined, his lips tilting down into a frown after hearing the rejection.

Lets just say.....Jungkook was a spoiled brat. The teachers loved him in South Korea, not as much in America, but they still thought that he was decent. Being the popular guy at school made things even easier for him, since he could just march up to the smart kids and order them to do his homework. Everyone in school adored him and viewed him as the school's sweetheart, causing Jungkook to get whatever he wanted from everyone. And his parents....well, being the only kid made them spoil him rotten since their childhoods weren't the best and they promised that their own child would have everything he wished for. So after hearing a 'no' to his simple request, Jungkook's inner brat came out.

"Why cant you teach me?" Jungkook asked, bitting his lip to stop himself from actually stomping his foot.

Daryl rolled his eyes and released a small scoff,"Because you're a thirteen year old brat" He stated while standing up and facing Glenn,"This is pointless, give me the light."

"I'm eighteen." Jungkook grumbled in return, crossing his arms over his chest as Glenn took out a flashlight and turned it on before passing it to Daryl.

Daryl took the flashlight and shined it over the area. Jungkook's eyes followed the light, happy to finally see something thought the darkness.

**Crunch!**

Jungkook immediately looked into the direction the sound of a branch snapping came from. Daryl shone his flashlight towards the direction before darting towards it. Jungkook released a sigh and followed after Daryl, his feet carrying him over fallen branches and leaves.

After minutes of walking further and further into the woods, following Daryl who followed Randall's tracks, Daryl finally started to slow down.

"There's two sets of tracks right here. Shane must've followed him a lot longer than he said." Daryl said as he shone the flashlight onto the ground.

Jungkook leaned closer, staring at the ground intensely, trying to spot tracks or something. But all Jungkook saw were leaves, dirt and twigs. The boy huffed and followed the flashlight as Daryl shined it onto a tree that had a blood stain on it.

"Splash of blood on this tree." Daryl muttered, staring at the blood.

Jungkook stared at the blood before looking at Daryl,"Could it be Randall's or Shane's?"

Daryl tensed and looked at Jungkook over his shoulder. Jungkook stared back at Daryl, waiting for an answered but Daryl only turned around and followed after more tracks.

"There's more tracks over here, it's like they're walking in tango."

Jungkook heard an unfamiliar animal release a deep growl somewhere in the distance, causing Glenn to jerk to the side and bump into Daryl.

"Sorry." Glenn whispered sheepishly before stepping back.

Daryl looked away from Glenn and continued to lead them forward. His flashlight trailed along the ground, focusing on the snapped branches and footprints.

"A little dust up right here." Daryl slowed down, looking at a certain spot. And even Jungkook, when he looked closer, could see what Daryl was talking about. It was like someone had spun in a circle, causing all the leaves, branches and dirt to fly away from the spot.

"What does it mean?" Glenn asked, looking around to see if there are any infected sneaking up on them.

"It means something went down." Daryl explained as he led the group of three further into the woods.

Jungkook looked up at Daryl, his eyes squinting into a small glare and his lips dropping into a scowl," you mean something with Shane and Randall?"

Daryl released a deep sigh and turned to look at Jungkook,"Kid, you should be careful about who you tell this shit to. The group know Shane, they don't know you. If they had to choose who to believe in if something went wrong, you're not gonna be the obvious choice." Daryl told him truthfully, despite his cold facade and hash words, Jungkook saw the softness and seriousness in Daryl's eyes.

Jungkook's glare disappeared and he stared at Daryl when he turned around and continued to track. Jungkook thought about Daryl's words before realisation hit him like a seagull shit on him that one fateful summer.

Jungkook stepped forward and whispered quietly, his eyes wide with realisation,"Y....you know I'm right but you don't want to say anything to the group because you think they would choose to believe Shane over you!"

Daryl snapped his head in Gguk's direction, sparing a small glance towards a confused Glenn. He opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of branches snapping in the distance interrupted him.

Jungkook quickly dashed towards one of the trees and hid behind them, while the other two did the same. Daryl turned off the flashlight, leaving them in the dark.

The sound of footsteps and small grunts caused Jungkook to peak over the tree and see the silhouette of someone walking by them. Gguk watched with furrowed eyebrows and the possible Randall didn't even seem bothered that he just escaped a group of people and they were obviously after him.

Jungkook hid behind a tree as Randall walked in their direction. He looked over at Daryl and Glenn, noticing their raised weapons. Jungkook shakily lowered his hand to his hip and quietly pulled out his knife. He gripped the handle of the knife tighter as he listened to Randall walking closer to the tree where Glenn was hiding behind.

Just as Randall was about to pass by the tree, Glenn jumped out, raising his weapon in the air, ready to attack Randall. But as soon as Daryl's flashlight landed on Randall Glenn froze and stared at him wide eyed.

The infected in front of them was Randall, but now it was a brainless body, seeking for a source of food. Jungkook stared wide eyed as Glenn froze, giving Randall the perfect opportunity to snarl and launch at him. Glenn Pushed Randall away, only to fall back and hit the ground.

Daryl raised his crossbow and shot at Randall before he could launch himself at Glenn and bite a piece out of him. The arrow soured through the, missing Randall by inches when he changed his direction the last second and pounced on Daryl instead. The latter grunted as Randall pushed him to the ground and fell on top of him, snapping his jaws and trying to bite through him.

Jungkook gripped his knife tighter and ran towards Daryl, he grabbed the scruff of Randall's shirt and pulled him off of Daryl. Jungkook huffed as he pushed a snarling Randall towards the ground before jumping onto him and slamming his knife thought his skull.

Jungkook released a deep breath and stood up, harshly pulling his knife out of Randall's skull in the process. Gguk straightened out and cleaned the bloody knife on his sleeve before looking at Daryl and Glenn as they stood up.

"You all right?"

Daryl gave him a wordless nod while Glenn shakily nodded, their eyes trained on Randall's lifeless body. Daryl crouched down and turned Randall onto his back while Glenn watched from beside Jungkook.

"Cool," Jungkook nodded lightly before his tone changed drastically and he glared at the two,"If any of you say I'm young or some shit again, I'm gonna remind you that I definitely saved your asses right now." Jungkook playfully rolled his eyes,"Amateurs." He mumbled under his breath, only to get shoved harshly by Glenn.

"He's got no bites." Daryl spoke up before the two boys could start fighting again.

Jungkook looked over to Daryl, his lips falling into a frown as he stepped closer to Randall's body.

"Yeah, none you can see." Glenn said as he, too, looked down at Randall's infected body.

Daryl shook his head before gesturing towards Randall's weirdly positioned neck,"I'm telling you, he died from _this_."

"How's that possible?" Glenn wondered, looking in between Daryl and Jungkook.

Jungkook frowned, his mind flashing back to all the suspicious things about this situation. He looked towards Daryl who was already looking at him. The two shared a look before Daryl stood up and they made his way back to Hershel's house. Jungkook followed after the older, but not before glancing back to take a one last look at Randall's dead body.


	12. Left behind

Jungkook's onyx coloured eyes were blown wide with shock and fear. His brows were raised, nearly reaching his hairline while his doll like lips were parted as steady breaths left them. Gguk stared past the empty fields of Hershel's farm and focused on the horde of infected marching through it.

"Patricia, kill the lights." Hershel, who was standing in front of Jungkook instructed the woman next to him, making her nod and go turn off the lights.

When Hershel's voice reached his ears, Jungkook snapped out of his small trance. He had never seen a horde this big marching straight towards him, the poor boy was silently panicking. Jungkook shut his parted lips and ran his tongue over the edge of his mouth. He gripped the gun in his hand tighter before forcing his eyes away from the horde.

As Jungkook turned around, he noticed Maggie bringing out a bunch of guns and handing it out to her family.

"It's no use." Daryl said, shaking his head as he looking in between the guns and the infected.

Hershel grabbed a gun before looking up at the group,"You can go if you want."

Jungkook stared at the in disbelief,"You can't actually stay here! Are you crazy?" He exclaimed, gesturing towards the horde of infected coming closer and closer to the house.

"We have guns, we have cars." Hershel shrugged, loading his shotgun.

Andrea nodded, pulling out her own gun and filling it with bullets,"Kill as many as we can and use the cars to lead the rest of them off the farm."

"Are you serious?" Daryl asked, looking at Hershel with raised eyebrows.

Hershel looked at Daryl and Jungkook, determination swirling in his eyes as he spoke,"This is my farm, I'll die in here."

"Alright, it's as good a night as any." Daryl shrugged, reloading his crossbow.

Jungkook stared in between the group in disbelief,"Wait, are you joking? I can't tell if it's a joke or not."

Maggie patted Kook on the back, shooting him a comforting smile as she walked towards one of the cars,"Come on."

Jungkook blinked owlishly before following after Maggie and Glenn, and climbing into the backseat of the car. Maggie sat at the wheel and began to drive towards the horde of walkers. Jungkook grew confused by her action but something else caught his attention.

The barn was on fire.

Someone had set it on fire in order to attract the infected towards it instead of the house. Jungkook's lips parted in amazement as he watched the wooden structure slowly burn to the ground.

Only when Glenn's and his windows were rolled down, and Glenn shoved his gun outside, shooting the walkers as they drove past, did Jungkook look away from the burning barn.

Jungkook pulled out his gun, gripping it tighter when he noticed his hands were shaking again. He aimed at the infected as Maggie drove past them, ignoring the thin layer of sweat appearing on his skin and the wet strands of hair falling in his face.

For a second Jungkook thought about not shooting, considering that he wasn't that experienced with a gun and he rarely used it, shooting from a driving car was a horrible idea. But seeing the large horde of walkers marching towards Hershel's house and Glenn's fearless face as he shot the infected, Jungkook pulled himself together and started firing at the infected, successfully shooting them in the head and killing them.

Jungkook's head ached from the loud noise coming from of the gun, making him bite down on the side of his cheek and hold his breath.

As Maggie kept driving and they kept shooting, Jungkook noticed that the horde of infected didn't seem to lessen. His eyes glanced over to Hershel's House and his face dropped when he saw the walkers already there. He could hear the distant sound of guns firing and someone screaming.

A sudden though ran through his head, causing Jungkook to stop firing and look towards Glenn.

"Where's my backpack?"

Glenn ignored Jungkook, too focused on killing the walkers to notice the panicked expression on Gguk's face.

"Glenn! Where's my backpack!" Jungkook shouted, his chest heaving up and down as fear and panic showed their ugly heads.

Glenn jumped at the shouts turning to look at Gguk with wide eyes,"I...Rick put in your room."

Jungkook's eyes widened before he turned towards Maggie, demanding her to stop the car. Maggie looked at him with wide eyes, still not complying because there were a few infected around them.

Jungkook saw that she wasn't about to stop the car, making him reach out and pull the door open himself. Maggie in return, immediately pressed down on the brakes and watched with wide eyes as Jungkook jumped out of the car and dashed towards the main House.

Jungkook panted as he ran, his breaths came out short and shallow while his chest rose and fell rapidly. He could hear Maggie's distant calls for him to come back, but he didn't even glance back or debate on stopping. Gguk ignored the way his thighs ached as he ran or the way his lungs begged him to stop.

Jungkook avoided the walkers trying to grab him, the ones that did get too close, he shot. Gguk's mind didn't comprehend what he was doing- running towards a house surrounded by a horde of walkers. He was too focused on getting back his backpack, or rather the object that was hidden in the front pocket of the bag.

Jungkook almost teared up as he slowly came to a stop, watching in defeat as walkers surrounded the house, flooding inside and making it impossible for him to get in.

Jungkook was filled with grief over the precious object he had lost, making him unaware of his surrounding. Only when an infected grabbed his shoulder, did he turn around and finally hear the snarls all around him.

Jungkook panicked, raising his foot and kicking the infected away. He quickly pulled out his knife and lodged it into another infected's skull, making it fall to the ground lifelessly. Gguk quickly pulled out his knife and ducked out of the way as another infected pounced on him. Unfortunately, he fell back and landed on his ass, giving the infected a perfect opportunity to jump on top of him.

Jungkook grunted and pushed against the weight of the infected, trying to push it off and avoid its rotten teeth. Gguk gagged in disgust as the stench of rotten eggs and blood pierced his nostrils. He could see a inside the mouth of the infected as it snapped its jaws in Jungkook's face, trying to get a bite right out of his cheek.

A loud gunshot shot through Jungkook's ears before the walker on top of him fell limply on his chest. Jungkook was quick to push the body off of him and jump up to his feet.

"_Get inside!"_

Jungkook snapped his head behind him only to see Lori, Beth and T-Dog sitting in the blue truck. Lori was leaning out of the window, firing her gun and killing the infected surrounding Jungkook.

He spared a one last glance towards Hershel's overrun house and the burning barn before turning around and dashing towards the blue truck.

Jungkook's heart clenched in pain as he jumped in the truck and shut the door behind him before they drove off 

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

_A breathy giggle rung through the air as a small boy dashed through the halls of a small apartment. His lips stretched out into a wide grin, showing off his two front bunny teeth while his dark eyes shone with blissful innocence._

_The boy released another giggle as he stretched out his hand and ran the tips of his fingers along the wall next to him. A stern voice called out from behind him, telling him to stop running or he'll fall, but the boy ignored it and surged forward._

_When he reached the end of the hallway, his eyes zeroed in on a plate of Dasik that sat on top of a tea table. The grin slipped from his chubby face and a mischievous smile lit it up instead._

_Quickly changing his direction, the small boy ran towards the cookies, his hand already reached out to grab a handful. The boy squinted his eyes and moved his chubby legs faster once he heard his mother stalk towards him, ready to rip him away from the cookies._

_The boy's mouth drooled when the scent of the cookies wafted in his face, nearly making his legs give out. His eyes widened and he reached both hands out, he was about to reach the tab-_

_Before he could reach the cookies, The bunny boy tripped over his own feet and fell down to the ground. His forehead smacked against the wooden tiles before he could even brace himself._

_A small gasp rung out in the apartment followed by a tense silence. The silence was shattered by a throaty wail and choked sobs. The boy slowly looked up, his lower lip trembling as tears gathered in his eyes. The tears escaped the corners of his eyes and rolled down his chubby cheeks._

_A pair of arms found their way under his armpits before the sobbing boy was lifted off of the ground and into someone's arms._

_"I told you not to run, Jeongguk."_

_Jeongguk only cried harder, his arms wrapped around his mother's slim neck before he shoved his tear stained face into her chest._

_The woman sighed and sat down on a couch in her apartment, placing the boy in her lap. She gently caressed Gguk's back, trying to ease the choked sobs and whimpers. Jeongguk tightened his grip on his mother before he rubbed his snotty nose into her grey sweater._

_"Did you just clean your snot on my clothes?" She let out a dramatic gasp, causing the boy's cries to stop for a second._

_A muffled snicker came out of the boy before he lifted his blotchy face and looked up at his mom. The woman was young, around 28 or 29. Her skin had a few small blemishes here and there but mostly it was smooth and tan. Her eyes were a light brown colour and her black hair reached her shoulders. Her doll like lips were tilted up into a teasing smile while her kitten like eyes shone with kindness._

_A small giggle left Jeongguk's lips and he frantically shook his head, causing his mop of hair to sway from side to side. His chubby face had some red blotches on his face due to crying while his teary eyes remained red and swollen. Some tears had stuck in his dark eyelashes, glowing like small diamonds, while his red cheeks were covered in dry tear stains._

_Jungkook's mother reached out and gently wiped away his tears. His nose immediately scrunched up and he leaned away from her touch, instead turning towards the cookies sitting on the table next to them._

_The woman smiled and playfully rolled her eyes, she reached out and grabbed a cookie before leaning back,"Here you go, kookie." The woman offered Jeongguk the small treat, receiving a crooked grin in return._

_The boy snatched the cookie and stuffed it in his mouth in one go, swallowing without chewing._

_"Where's my thank you?" The woman teased, brushing Jeongguk's hair out of his chubby face._

_Gguk looked up at her with wide eyes, blinking owlishly. He smiled again, causing his eyes to squint and his bunny teeth to show. Jungkook quickly leaned in and gave his mother a sloppy, wet kiss on her cheek, releasing a small giggle afterward._

_The woman smiled at the sight, before noticing that Jeongguk's eyes began to droop and his lips parted to release a loud yawn. Jeongguk quickly blinked away his drowsiness when his eyes zeroed in on an unfamiliar object around his mother's neck._

_His small, chubby hand immediately reached out and he grasped the pendant around her neck. Gguk leaned forward, his lips tilting down into a small pout and his eyes squinting as he took the object in._

_"It's a compass."_

_The words slipped past Jeongguk's ears as he continued to play with the necklace, twirling it between his small fingers and nearly shoving the compass into his mouth in order to have a taste. The woman smiled lightly, quickly stopping his from tasting the unfamiliar object. She released a deep sigh and ran her hand through his hair, watching as Gguk released another yawn and leaned his cheek against her chest._

_"It used to belong to my great grandmother, she gave it to my grandfather when she was sixty-eight and he carried it for forty-three years," The woman smiled faintly, a hint of nostalgia flashing in her eyes as she caressed Jeongguk's back, lulling him to sleep. Gguk continued to listen to her voice, yet not understanding the meaning of her words, his grip on the compass tightened as he tried to blink away his sleep,"Now It belongs to me and one day...," a smile lit up her youthful face as her gaze drifting towards Jeongguk who slowly shut his eyes, soft snores finally leaving his pink lips,"One day it'll belong to you."_

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Jungkook's face was blank as he stared out of the window of the blue truck. His mind had completely shut down and the only thing he could focus on was the priceless object he had lost.

Gguk fiddled with his bloody fingers while his teeth chewed on his already raw lip. He released a deep sigh and ran a bloody hand through his caramel coloured hair, staining a few strands red. Jungkook ignored it and continued to count the trees as they drove through an abandoned road.

_One._

_Two._

_Eight._

_Probably around 50._

Whoops_, I lost count._

Again_._

_Three_

_Four_

_Fift-_

"We have to turn around."

_That's not a number._

Jungkook looked away from the scenery around him and turned towards Lori as she spoke.

"Straight back to that horde?" T-Dog asked in disbelief, continuing to drive to god knows where.

Jungkook's expression was the one of boredom as he watched them banter about where to go next. Gguk had to agree with Lori, he didn't know about this highway but if it's where their group used to stay, then that's most likely where everyone was heading.

Jungkook had enough of their fighting, his head was already pounding and their loud voices only added to his headache. He released a small breath of annoyance before raising his hand and opening the car's door. T-Dog immediately pressed down on the brakes, causing the car to screech to a halt.

"Are you crazy!" He exclaimed in shock, staring at Jungkook with wide eyes. Lori looked at him with parted lips and raised brows.

"You have two options, you turn around or you let us out." Jungkook looked T-dog in the eyes as he spoke. His face expressionless and his eyes cold.

"I should do it, you know!" T-Dog yelled, pointing his finger at Jungkook.

For a second, Jungkook debated wether he should latch his teeth onto his finger or not. He decided that turning around and getting out of the car was a better option. But before Gguk could step a foot out of the car, T-Dog stopped him,

"Okay!"

Jungkook looked back at T-Dog, raising his brows challengingly. T-Dog inhaled deeply, pressing his forehead against the steering wheel as he squeezed his eyes shut, thinking.

"T-Dog." Lori whispered softly, looking at him with pleading eyes.

The said man released a deep sigh and looked at them,"Fine! You're out of your goddamn minds!"

Jungkook's lips tilted up into a smug smirk as he got back inside the car and shut the door. He slouched back in his seat, closing his eyes as he felt T-Dog turn the car around and drive to the highway.

"Thank god." Lori muttered in relief, allowing herself to relax as they drove closer to the rest of the group.

"No,"Lori looked at Jungkook as he spoke, his eyes shut and his head leaning against the car's door,"Thank _me_."


	13. A..a pun?

Leaves and sticks crunched under worn out boots, while soft pants and loud growls filled the forest. A blonde woman ran through the woods, trying to get away from the small group of walkers chasing after her.

A bag of guns was draped over her shoulder while a smaller bag was hanging loosely off her arm. A thin layer of sweat covered her skin, making her clothes cling to her body.

She ran a few more meters before realising she lost the group for a few seconds. Andrea quickly ducked down behind a tree and dropped the bags she was carrying by her feet. She heaved, trying to fill her lungs with oxygen before she had to run again. 

She quickly pulled out a gun before digging through the sheriff's bag. A huff of frustration escaped her lips when she realised the gun was empty. Andrea threw it in the sheriff's bag before grabbing the other backpack.

The blonde pulled it open, digging through the canned food, bottles of water and Granola bars. After finding no weapons and only a black hoodie, she pulled open the smaller pockets, hoping for at least some ammo.

As soon as she reached her hand inside the smaller compartment, Andrea touched something cold and metallic. With furrowed eyebrows, She pulled the small object out of the bag, revealing a small, golden pendant.

Andrea quickly grew confused, she admired the beautiful carvings on the front of the golden pendant before turning it over. Her brows drew together even more when she noticed something written in an unrecognisable language.

The sound of growls disturbed Andrea's moment of peace, causing her to quickly shove the pendant into the bag before swinging it over her shoulder.

Andrea noticed a walker trying to sneak up on her, making her pull out her knife and slam it into its skull. She spared the rest of the walkers a small glance before bending down and picking up the sheriff's bag.

A yelp left her lips as another walker launched at her before she jumped out of the way and swung the bag at it, pushing it down to the floor.

Andrea didn't waste any time to pull the bag around her shoulders and run into the direction where there weren't as much walkers.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Jungkook's lips lifted up into a small smile while his shoulder slouched in relief. He stared through the front window of the car right at the jeep in front of them.

The jeep that contained Glenn and Maggie.

Gguk's eyes traveled past the jeep and he caught the sight of Daryl and Carol riding on a motorcycle, leading the way.

They were safe and sound. Jungkook hoped that the rest of the group were on the highway because he didn't want the group to loose a leader like Rick. Honestly, he didn't want to loose anyone in the group.

Even though Jungkook hadn't spent a lot of time with the members, he was already attached to them to a certain degree. And seeing the other group members mourning the death of their loved ones made him feel uncomfortable and horrible inside.

T-Dog continued to follow after Daryl and eventually the highway came into view.

Jungkook perked up, his eyes immediately jumping around the highway, trying to spot the rest of the group.

As they continued to drive, Jungkook noticed three people hunched over behind a truck. His eyes widened before he heard Lori exhale sharply. Gguk glanced at the passengers in the car, only to see their relief filled faces and wide smiles. Jungkook, himself, felt his lips twitch up when he saw how much the group cared about each other.

The cars in front of them stopped, causing T-Dog to do the same. Jungkook immediately got out of the car so that Lori and Beth could get out and reunite with their families.

The boy watched with a small smile as Lori ran towards Rick and Carl, engulfing them both into tight hugs. Beth, Maggie and Hershel hugged each other with wide smiles on their faces and tears of relief in their eyes.

Jungkook leaned against the side of the blue truck, crossing his arms over his chest. He smiled slightly and released a deep breath of air, looking down at the ground.

The anxiety and fear in his chest had diminished and now he felt the sweet taste of happiness in the back of his throat. Jungkook was happy that they had reunited with their families and their hearts would be saved from grief. But he couldn't deny that there was a pang of bitterness mixed among the sweetness when he realised that he, too, wanted someone to care about him like this group cared about each other.

Maybe staying wasn't such a bad idea.

"You!"

Jungkook jumped and snapped his head towards Maggie, who was marching towards him with determination.

Seeing the look of confusion on his face, Maggie huffed and pointed her finger at him,"Yeah, _you_, fetus!"

Jungkook's eyes widened with fear and mild offence before he noticed her face twisting due to annoyance and anger. Gguk immediately straightened out and backed up against the truck, holding his arms up in surrender.

Maggie huffed angrily as she stalked towards him, a sharp glare on her face,"What the hell were you thinking- jumping into a horde of walkers?!" Maggie's accent was more prominent when she was angry, and Jungkook found that it made her scarier.

He let out an awkward chuckle, trying to mask the fear he felt inside with a nervous smile. Gguk tensed when Maggie finally reached him, thinking that she was gonna beat his ass into oblivion. But instead of hurting him, Maggie reached out and pulled him into a tight hug.

Jungkook froze, causing her to hug him even tighter. Gguk blinked owlishly, completely caught off guard by the hug. He looked over Maggie's shoulder towards the rest of the group, his expression the one of a confused bunny.

Jungkook noticed The small smiles on their faces as they watched the pair before they turned their attention away from them and began to speak with each other. Yet Jungkook noticed the way Glenn's eyes never drifted away from the two.

Gguk blinked again and looked down. He closed his eyes and savoured the feeling of someone's arms around him, hugging him tightly and reassuringly. The comfort of the soft touch was foreign after spending months with people and beings that tried to kill him.

The lack of hugs was an understatement.

"You're such an idiot,"Maggie muttered, about to pull away from Jungkook, yet once her arms began to loosen around the boy, Jungkook's arms shot up and he quickly hugged her in return.

"I'm...sorry?" Gguk whispered quietly, his eyes focusing on the dirty pavement bellow them. He tightened his arms around Maggie and inhaled sharply, getting a faint whiff of her raspberry scented body wash and a strong scent of blood and sweat.

"Was it at least worth it? Did you get what you wanted?" Maggie asked once they finally pulled apart.

Jungkook exhaled, looking away from the ground and towards Maggie's soft eyes. He stared at the specks of gold and green in her eyes, admiring the beautiful colour before softly shaking his head.

"No....I..I didn't." Jungkook mumbled miserably as Maggie nodded in sympathy and took a hold of his arm, pulling him towards the rest of the group.

Maggie looked at the crestfallen look on his face and the frown on his lips, and sent him a gentle smile,"Don't think about it."

Jungkook nodded as they rejoined the group, who were discussing something among themselves.

"-re's the rest of us?" Jungkook heard Daryl ask as he and Maggie rejoined the group.

Jungkook furrowed his brows and looked at everyone present,

_Maggie_

_Glenn_

_Rick_

_Lori_

_Carl_

_Daryl_

_Carol_

_Hershel_

_Beth_

_T-dog_

"We're the only ones who made it so far." Rick responded, turning to look at Daryl.

Jungkook looked away from T-Dog and turned towards Rick, ready to hear what the sheriff was planning after the farm was overrun.

"Shane?" Lori asked, the smile on her face slipping as she noticed his lack of presence.

Jungkook, too, realised that Shane was nowhere to be seen. Honestly, he didn't even care what happened to the guy, they didn't interact much and when they did, the experience was unpleasant. Call him insensitive but Gguk was glad that Shane was no longer with them. The guy gave him weird vibes and now that he was gone, Jungkook can admit that he feels safer and more stable in the group.

Rick shifted his gaze to the floor as he slowly shook his head, giving Lori the answer she needed. Jungkook stared at the pregnant woman as she swallowed thickly and looked away, trying to hide the pain on her face.

"Andrea?" Glenn asked, his face dropping disbelief and worry.

Carol spoke up, her voice soft and quiet,"She saved me, then I lost her."

"We saw her go down." T-Dog stated as he leaned against the blue truck.

"Patricia?" Hershel asked, his voice containing a hint of hope yet his face gave away that he already knew the answer.

Beth, who was leaning against Hershel and Maggie, shook her head,"They got her too," Her voice broke as she spoke. Jungkook's face softened when he noticed her trembling lips and teary eyes,"Took her right from me, I was....I was holding onto her, Daddy, she just..." Beth tried to swallow down the sobs and whimpers that fought to escape her lips.

Hershel and Maggie immediately latched onto her, trying to soothe her with soft words and gentle carresses. Jungkook exhaled sharply and turned away from the sight.

He visibly winced when Beth spoke again, her voice desperate and filled with grief,"What about Jimmy? Did you see Jimmy?”

Rick nodded, looking into her wide eyes,"He was in the RV, it got overrun."

Beth begin to cry before burying her face into Hershel's chest. Maggie frowned, gently patting her back as she tried to comfort her little sister.

"You definitely saw Andrea?" Carol asked, looking towards T-Dog.

Lori decided to speak up,"There were walkers everywhere."

"Did you see her?"

No one said anything for a few seconds as they pondered over Carol's question.

Jungkook glanced at Lori as she shifted on her feet and looked away, giving everyone her answer.

"I'm gonna go back."

Jungkook snapped his head towards Daryl when he spoke up. Gguk straightened out, his mouth prying open to protest as he watched Daryl swing his leg over his bike and place his hands on the handles.

"No."

Jungkook and Rick quickly spoke up, stopping Daryl in his movements.

"We can't just leave her."

"We don't really have a choice,"Jungkook spoke up, gathering everyone's attention. He crossed his arms over his chest and shifted on his feet before speaking again,"Going into that horde of walkers to find a girl, who could be already dead, is practically suicide."

"Could be, we don't know for sure." Daryl shrugged, still ready to get on the bike and drive back to the farm.

"Okay, lets say she's alive," Gguk nodded, running his eyes over the group,"Andrea won't stay at the farm, she'll keep going. If she's alive, we won't be able to find her anymore, not without loosing some of us."

Rick nodded after Jungkook spoke,"He's right, there's no way to find her anymore."

"So We're not even gonna look for her?" Glenn's lips parted in disbelief while he stared in between Jungkook and Rick.

Jungkook shifted on his feet and looked at Rick. The two shared a look before Rick spoke up,"We gotta keep moving, there's walkers crawling all over here." The sheriff pointed towards an infected that was growling while making its way over to the group.

Jungkook released a small sigh and hesitantly turned his eyes away from the infected when T-Dog began to speak,"I say head east."

"Stay out of the main roads," Daryl nodded, pulling his crossbow down from his shoulder and into his hands,"the bigger the roads, the more walkers. More assholes like this." Daryl nodded towards the walker behind Jungkook and Glenn, causing the group to turn around.

"I got 'em." Daryl muttered, raising his crossbow and shooting the infected.

Jungkook's lips parted in amazement as he watched the arrow pierce the infected's skull like it was butter. The boy glanced at Daryl, admiration shinning in his ebony coloured eyes, causing Daryl to scoff and roll his.

Glenn snickered, nudging Jungkook out of his trance. Gguk shut his mouth and hummed, watching Daryl with wide eyes as he pulled his arrow out of the infected's skull and cleaned the blood on the sleeve of his shirt.

"_Woah_."

Glenn released a snort and grabbed Jungkook by his arm, pulling him towards the jeep he and Maggie drove, “Come on, coconut."

"_The hell did you just call me_?"

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

After hours of running, Andrea's body quite literally gave up on her. She stumbled into a tree before dropping the heavy bags from her shoulders. Andrea heaved and stumbled while turning around and raising her gun towards the remaining walkers.

She quickly remembered that she had run out of bullets, causing her to drop the gun and switch to her switchblade. A walker growled and snarled as it shot forward, trying to grab her, only to be pushed back and have a knife get shoved through its head.

Andrea gasped and pulled the knife out, stumbled back as her legs kept giving out due to fatigue. She faced the other Male walker, only to have it pounce on her and push her down to the ground.

Andrea let out a gasp before yelling and kicking the snarling walker into the face. It gripped her leg tighter, trying to crawl further up her body and take a bite out of her stomach.

Andrea released a grunt, raising her foot and kicking the walker in the face again, only for it to not be affected. She scrambled back trying to put as much distance between them as she could, but the walker followed her without much effort.

Andrea felt a smooth caress of the wind before the walker fell limply into her arms. She released a yelp as it's head dropped down from its shoulders and onto her chest. Andrea was quick to push the body away and scramble back before snapping her head towards the person standing over her.

The person's face couldn't be seen due to the hood covering their face. But a shiver ran down Andrea's back once she saw the two walkers shifting behind the person- jaws and arms cut off, and chains wrapped around their necks.

Andrea quickly crawling backward to put some distance between them. But as she did, her back bumped into something and her palm pressed against the front of a boot.

Andrea froze in her tracks, her face paling and her breaths stilling. Andrea sucked in a deep breath and shakily raised her hand off of the black boot. She glanced at the person in front of her, her eyes focusing on the katana in their hand before Andrea finally gathered enough courage to raise her head to look at the person behind her.

As soon as she did, her eyes widened when she saw the Male above her.

His golden tan skin was covered in specks of blood and grime, and his black outfit had some rips and blood on it. A black bandana was wrapped around his forehead, keeping his dark hair back and away from his face. The Male tilted his plump lips into a small smirk, causing his eyes to squint in the corners. His intense black eyes bore into Andrea, causing her to gulp and nearly look away,

The male licked his red lips, allowing them to stretch into a boxy grin before he spoke up,

"_What does it take to become a zombie_?"

The male's deep voice reached Andrea's ears, causing her back to straighten out and her eyes to widen. She stared up at him in wonder, taking in his beauty before finally registering his words.

Andrea furrowed her eyebrows, wondering if the grinning Male was threatening her. She glanced at the unknown person behind her, only to see them already shaking their head and turning away.

Andrea looked back up at the Male, her confusion growing when the male bent down slightly, allowing Andrea to get a better look at the beauty mark covering the tip of his nose.

Andrea looked into his black eyes, frowning and backing away when she saw how dark they were. She couldn't even see the irises and it was exactly what gave the Male such an intimidating vibe. Andrea gulped when he grinned even wider and without breaking eye contact, whispered,

"_DEADication_."


	14. The end of democracy

Jungkook jerked awake when he felt the car come to a slow halt. He lifted his head off of the door and winced at the pain in his neck. Gguk rubbed the back of his neck, rolling his head around as he looked outside the window, growing confused when he noticed woods surrounding him.

"Why'd we stop?" He asked, turning his gaze towards Maggie and Glenn, who were sitting in the front seats.

Maggie shrugged and opened her door to get out, Glenn following closely behind. With a small sigh, Jungkook opened the car's door and slipped out of the car.

A cold breeze ran over Gguk's body, causing him to shiver before pulling his jacket closer to himself. He released a small yawn as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and walked over to Daryl.

The whole group seemed to have stopped in the middle of a road. Thankfully it was empty and was surrounded by woods but Jungkook still felt uneasy being out in the open.

Jungkook stopped a little away from Daryl, who was climbing off of his bike, and looked around the scattered group members. Rick walked towards the two, causing Daryl to turn towards him,

"You out?"

"I'm running on fumes." Rick responded, stopping next to the two.

Maggie walked closer to them, warily looking around he area while gripping the rifle in her arms tightly ,"We can't stay here."

Jungkook had to agree with her, being out in the open is dangerous, especially when the sun sets. The temperature will drop and a fire will be lit, and the fire will attract the infected.

"We can't all fit in one car." Glenn spoke up, standing next to Maggie.

Rick looked around before turning back to the group,"We'll make a run for some gas in the morning."

"Spend the night here?" Glenn wondered out loud, looking unsure about it.

Jungkook, too, looked at Rick with doubt, not wanting to spend the night in the open. Even thought he's spent many nights alone since the apocalypse started, he always found a secure place to sleep in because when he does sleep, nothing can wake him up. If he didn't find a place, he didn't sleep.   


"I'm cold."

Jungkook snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Carl who was shivering in Lori's arms. Gguk frowned in sympathy when he saw the boy's blue lips and trembling body before he was suddenly struck with a thought.

Jungkook turned around and walked back to the jeep he was sleeping in. He pulled the door open before leaning in and grabbing a black hoodie from inside. The hoodie was the only thing he had pulled out of his backpack before the farm was overrun.

Jungkook stepped out of he car and shut the door behind him. He walked over to Lori and Carl, and offered them his hoodie, receiving a questioning look in return.

"You...you need it more than me." Jungkook muttered quietly, nodding towards a shivering Carl.

Lori's face lit up with a grateful smile before she placed her hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze,"Thank you." She whispered, taking the black hoodie from him.

Jungkook nodded, trying not to grow tense under her touch. He glanced down towards Carl only to see the boy staring up at him with wide doe eyes. Gguk's lips faintly tilted up and he sent Carl a small smile before turning around and walking over to Glenn and Maggie.

Maggie glanced at him and sent him a teasing smirk, causing Gguk's cheeks to flare a bright red before he rolled his eyes and looked away, pouting at her teasing.

"Everyone stop panicking, listen to Rick." Hershel spoke up, catching Jungkook's attention. He spared Hershel a glance before faintly nodding and turning towards the leader.

"Alright," Rick nodded, gathering his thoughts, he looked up and began to explain his plan,"We set up a perimeter. In the morning we'll find gas and some supplies. We keep pushin' on."

"Glenn and I can make a run now, and try to scrounge up some gas." Maggie said, gesturing towards Glenn and herself.

Jungkook looked at her with raised brows before stepping closer to the two,"I'm coming with you, I have more experience out there."

Maggie shook her head, ready to protest while Glenn scowled, looking in between the two with jealousy. Jungkook ignored Glenn's gaze and sent Maggie a look that meant he won't tolerate any protests. Maggie glared in return, looking at him like she was gonna beat him up. Gguk's face twisted due to fear before he blinked and looked away, still determined to come with them.

"No," The trio looked at Rick when he spoke. He shook his head, denying their request,"We stay together. God forbid something happens- people get stranded without a car."

"Rick,"Glenn furrowed his eyebrows and gestured around,"We're stranded now."

Jungkook nodded in agreement, crossing his arms over his chest and shuffling on his feet.

Rick nodded, huddling closer to the group,"I know it looks bad, we've all been through hell and worse, but at least we found each other." He spoke fiercely with a hint of aggression,"I wasn't sure...I..I really wasn't. But we did. We're together. And we keep it that way." Jungkook admired how Rick could convince him that even though their situation is bad, they will survive because they have each other. It was a childish concept but Rick made it seem fierce and powerful.

Jungkook looked around at the faces of the group members to try and see their opinion on this, and he was met with some doubtful expression. Gguk frowned, glancing at Hershel and Daryl who seemed to be the only ones not to doubt Rick and his decision. He realised that this is going to be a hard time for the group and they might even split up.

Sadly, Jungkook didn't know who to go with if the group did split up- Rick was the first one to accept him in the group, and he admired Daryl for the person he was and he knew that he could learn a lot from him. But he was already attached to Maggie and her constant teasing, and he didn't want to leave Hershel behind because weirdly enough, he liked the older man.

"Rick, look around, there's walkers everywhere," Glenn spoke up after sharing a look with Maggie,"They're migratin-"

"There's got to be a place, not just where we hole up but where we...._fortify_. Hunker down. Pull ourselves together. Build a life for each other!" Rick hissed, his face twisting into a look of hope and determination,"I know it's out there, we just have to find it!"

Jungkook flinched slightly and took a step back when Rick raised his voice and pointed the gun in his hand down at the ground. Gguk knew Rick wouldn't hurt them but his body language was quite aggressive and unpredictable, and that made the rest of the group restless and anxious.

Rick turned around, rubbing his forehead due to frustration,"Even though we do find a place." Rick turned around, looking at Maggie when she spoke up, shuffling on her feet nervously,"We can never be sure for how long. Look at what happened to the farm. We fooled ourselves into thinking that that was safe."

"We won't make that mistake again." Hershel whispered harshly, his face turning hard.

Jungkook pursued his lips and looked around, his eyes caught a sight of some ruins deeper in the forest and he wondered if that would be safe enough for the night. It won't be warm and it won't bring any protection but the ruins could bring them some cover, it was better than staying out in the open road.

Rick seemed to be thinking the exact same thing because the next thing he did was gesture towards the ruins,"We make camp over there, get on the road in the brink of day."

Jungkook nodded, ready to head over to the ruins and see if there's any infected inside. He pulled out his knife, his knuckles turning white from how strong he gripped the weapon. But just as he was about to move, the rest of the group huddled closer together- Carol going to Daryl and Beth approaching Rick.

"What if walkers come or another group like Randall's?" Beth asked quietly, looking up at Rick questioningly.

Gguk swallowed thickly and glanced in between the two before deciding to butt in. A small smile appeared on his face, trying to ease Beth's nerves as he spoke,"Then we protect each other." Rick and Beth turned towards Jungkook. He sent Beth a small smile, causing the girl to turn away with a blush coating her pale cheeks. Gguk looked up at Rick, the smile slipping and a serious look taking its place,"Like you said."

Rick nodded at Jungkook before the boy looked towards Daryl,"You know I found Randall, right?" Daryl stated, looking at Rick with a blank face,"He turned but he wasn't bit."

The group immediately turned towards Rick, ready to hear what he'll say. Jungkook wondered why they looked at Rick like he had all the answers in the world. Why would he know why Randall turned without being bit? Gguk rolled his eyes and sighed, puffing out his cheeks. He felt sympathy towards the leader- the group was doubting him and his leadership skills, yet now they're looking at him for answers he didn't even hold.

"How's that evening possible?"

"Rick, what the hell happened?"

"_Shane killed Randall. Just like he always wanted to_."

Jungkook's eyes shot up from the pavement and he looked at Daryl with parted lips. He surely wasn't expecting that, not after they had that conversation in the woods about keeping your mouth shut. But Jungkook was yet again pleasantly surprised and that's what caused him to look at Daryl with admiration for his bluntness.

The hunter spared him a glance, causing Jungkook to smile faintly before looking at Rick. Rick's expression was cold and guarded, he clenched his jaw and looked down at the ground as if he was remembering something.

"And then the horde got him?" Lori wondered out loud, turning towards Rick for answers. Again.

Rick kept quiet, his gaze glued to the floor. Jungkook wondered if he'll even say anything but then again, what could he say when he didn't know anything?

Gguk shuffled on his feet and spared a glance towards the ruins where they'll be staying the night. Honestly, he was over this conversation and he wanted to do someth-

"We're all infected."

Jungkook froze, his mind going blank and his breath hitching in his throat. He stilled, trying to make sense of what Rick had just said. Maybe he misinterpreted it. Ever so slowly, Gguk turned his eyes towards Rick who was glaring down at the ground, avoiding the disbelief filled stares he received. Surely it cannot be true.

"What?" Jungkook didn't even notice the word slip past his lips.

"At the CDC, Jenner told me. Whatever it is. We all carry it."

Jungkook's mind went numb, he felt lightheaded and dizzy. Gguk felt something churn in the pit of his stomach before his skin began to tingle all over. He wanted to reach out scratch at it, if felt like million of ants were crawling under his skin, trying to break loose.

Jungkook _felt_ sick.

He wanted to run away and escape from his own body.

But he knew he couldn't.

Jungkook _was_ sick.

Just like the infected he had killed.

Just like the infected that tried to kill him.

Does that mean he's one of them? That he'll become just like them? A mindless being, only hungry for the human flesh? No conscience or thought process?

  
"_Why didn't you say anything_?"

Jungkook swallowed thickly, bitting his lip harshly as he sucked in a deep breath and took a step away from the group.

"_Does it make a difference_?"

Gguk turned his back to the group and placed his hands on his hips, trying to keep the panic and fear from taking over.

"_You knew this whole _time?"

Jungkook sucked in a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut. His head tilted down towards the ground, allowing some strands of hair to fall in his face.

"_How would I know for sure? You saw how crazy-_"

Jungkook opened his eyes and released a deep breath, raising a shaky hand to rub his sweaty forehead.

"_That is not your call! When I found out about the walkers in the barn, I told for the good of everyone."_

Jungkook turned around and allowed his eyes to glide over the scared, furious group members. They were staring at Rick as if he was a monster, as if he had committed the worst crime of them all. Their faces were filled with distrust as they stared at Rick, causing Jungkook's heavy gaze to finally turn towards the leader,

"_Well _I_ thought it'd be best if people didn't know_!"

Rick hissed, finally shutting everyone up. Jungkook bit his lip and wrapped his arms around himself, turning his eyes down to the ground.

Tense silence filled the air as everyone pondered over the information they had just gathered. Jungkook felt the hairs on his arms stand up and his back straighten when he began to feel uncomfortable from the tension in the air.

An unnecessary breath left Rick before he turned around and walked away. Jungkook felt a brush of air against his shoulder when Rick walked past him, causing him to momentarily tense up.

Lori immediately began to move and walked after Rick. The group kept quiet even when the leader left, yet they all dispersed and began to do something.

Jungkook kept biting his lower lip and staring at the ground while Rick's confession kept replaying in his mind. He couldn't believe he was infected. For a second he....._no_. He had _hoped_ that there was a chance for the ones who weren't infected to go back to living a normal life if the world ever got back to normal. But now that he found out that even if he died from old age, he would still turn into one of those monsters.

"Stop thinking," A grunt filled Jungkook's ears before someone nudged him in the ribs. Gguk jerked back and looked up with wide eyes. Daryl was walking away from him, heading towards the ruins before he called out gruffly,"Let's go."

Jungkook looked at Daryl's retreating back with wide eyes filled with was excitement. His lips suddenly stretched out into a wide grin before he ran after his idol, the newfound information long forgotten.

  
  


⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

A shiver ran through Jungkook as the cold night's air brushed against his back and tangled into his locks. He pulled his jacket closer to himself and scooted closer to the fire, seeking its warmth.

The warmth and light from the fire caressed the faces of everyone sitting around it. The sun had long set, leaving the group in pitch black darkness and a tension filled silence.

Jungkook brought his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. His dark coloured eyes stared into the dancing flames as his bunny teeth chewed on his lower lip.

Jungkook had always admired fire, the way it moved and danced as if teasing and taunting you. The way it made you forget how dangerous it truly was in order for you to lower your guard and give it the perfect opportunity to break out of its confined state and destroy everything in its path.

Jungkook admired fire because he wanted to _be_ like fire. It gave you everything you could ever need- food, warmth, light, protection. Fire was everything a person needed to survive, yet people often forgot how dangerous it truly was, making the mistake of thinking that they could control it. One moment you could be staring into the eyes of a candle flame, and the next, you'll be watching as it swallows everything it comes in contact with.

_Yeah_, Jungkook smirked slightly as he watched the fire crack and flare for a second, _just like fire_.

"We're not safe with him, keeping something like that from us."

Jungkook didn't even bother to look at Carol when she spoke, he placed his chin on the top of his knees and continued to stare at the flame in front of him.

"Why do you need him, if he's just gonna pull you down?"

This time Jungkook's eyes barely glanced to his right, catching a glimpse of Daryl, who was sitting right next to him, and Carol, who was sitting next to Daryl, staring at Daryl with her lips pulled into a straight line.

"_Nah_, Rick ain't like that." Daryl spoke gruffly, giving Carol a small glance before looking away.

Jungkook released an unnecessary breath and pulled his knees tighter to his chest, trying to ignore the cold air rubbing against his back while the heat from the fire hugged him from the front.

Carol's comments were making him angry. Not because she was expressing her opinion and saying what she felt, but because she was talking about Rick behind his back. 

She was basically trying to convert Daryl, who's one of the last three people in the group to put their faith and trust in Rick after everything that's happened. To Jungkook it looked like she was trying to get everyone on her side without Rick butting in and defending himself. 

Gguk scowled and glared at the fire, thinking about what would happen to Rick if the group turned on him.

"You're his henchmen and I'm a burden, you deserve better." Carol continued, addressing Daryl softly, yet with a hint of unhidden anger.

Jungkook bit his lower lip, chewing on it before he turned his eyes away from the fire and looked at Hershel, who was sitting on the opposite side of him. The older man was huddled closely together with Beth, while Maggie and Glenn sat side by side.

"What do you want?" Daryl asked bluntly, his lips tilted down into a heavy scowl while his eyes squinted into a dangerous glare.

Jungkook heard the slight anger and frustration in his voice, but Daryl was good at hiding it and Carol was good at ignoring it.

Carol frowned, her gaze not drifting from Daryl's cold eyes,"A man of honour." She whispered without a second thought.

"Rick _has_ honour." Daryl immediately shot back, his body turning towards the fire along with his eyes, silently telling carol that the conversation was over.

Jungkook relaxed at his words and actions, Gguk knew that Daryl was a man with a strong opinion and it wouldn't change easily, but he didn't deny that he was scared of Daryl's answer to Carol's unsaid proposition. Jungkook didn't want Rick to be thrown out of the group, he knew that Rick was a good man but just like the rest of them, the apocalypse had damaged him. Gguk didn't even know if the group would function properly without a leader like him, he didn't know if he would stay if Rick left.

"I think we should take our chances."

Maggie's voice drifted through the air, reaching Jungkook's ears, yet her words were the ones that caused him to snap his head towards the girl and look at her with parted lips.

Maggie was looking around the faces of the group, drinking in their expressions, before she caught a sight of Jungkook's, now, hardened, cold eyes. A flash of guilt ran over her face before she turned away.

Hershel, who was sitting next to his daughters and Glenn, gave her a stern look,"Dont be foolish. There's no food, no fuel, no ammo."

As soon as Hershel finished speaking, the sound of branches snapping and leaves crunching invaded Jungkook's ears. The group immediately tensed up and straightened out.

"What was that?" Beth questioned in a shaky tone and wide eyes.

Jungkook, and the rest of the group, stood up, looking around the dark forest in case an infected showed up. Jungkook's shoulders were squared and straightened as his eyes danced across the line of trees, trying to catch a glimpse of the source of the noise.

"Could be anything, could be a raccoon, could be a possum." Daryl said as he stood up, taking his crossbow off of his shoulder.

"A walker." Glenn murmured quietly, his hand slowly inching towards his gun, ready to pull it out.

Carol trembled as she looked around and huddled closer to the middle of the group,"We need to leave, I mean, what are we waiting for?"

Jungkook sighed and rolled his eyes, turning to look at Carol,"For the daylight."

The group ignored Jungkook's words, their minds set on the idea of packing up their things and going off into the dark. Gguk released a deep sigh through his nose, squeezing his eyes shut to calm himself down as he listened to them talk,

"Which way?"

"It came from over there."

"Back from where we came."

"_Yeah_."

"The last thing we need is for everyone to run off into the dark."

Jungkook perked up, his eyes snapping open and his posture straightening when he heard Rick finally return to the group and speak. Gguk hoped that now that Rick was here, Carol wouldn't go behind his back and place the poisonous idea, that he was the cause the group's misery, in everyone's heads.

"We don't have the vehicles, and no ones traveling on foot." Rick continued, his stern gaze boring into each and every group member.

When Rick's eyes connected with Jungkook's, the boy gave him a small nod and a faint smile, causing the leader's posture to relax. Rick seemed to be glad that not everyone was against him and someone still had his back.

"Don't panic." Hershel murmured, even though his voice was quiet, you could hear the strained order in it.

Maggie sucked in a deep breath, gripping her rifle tighter,"I'm not...I'm not sitting here waiting for another horde to blow through. We need to go, we need to go now."

Jungkook understand that the group was scared and panicky but their fear took over their rational side, making them vulnerable to the infected. Going off into the woods was even more dangerous that sitting around a brightly lit fire surrounded by ruins. They could run into a horde of infected and instead of hearing or seeing them, they wouldn't even know that the infected were there. At least now they had a chance.

"No ones going anywhere!" Rick spat, turning his head towards Maggie who looked away with a glare.

"Do something!" Carol raised her voice, taking a step closer to Rick. Her eyes flared with anger and fear as she clenched her jaw, looking at Rick to do everything.

Rick immediately stepped closer to her,"I am doing something! I'm keeping this group together! _Alive_!"He shouted, gesturing his gun towards the whole group,"I didn't ask for this! I killed my best friend for you people, for Christ's sake!"

Jungkook swallowed thickly, glancing at the scared expressions of the group members as Rick finally snapped. Gguk had a hunch that Rick knew what was going on behind his back, the leader wasn't an idiot. And now that the group was pushing his last buttons, Rick finally had enough.

Jungkook knew that Shane was Rick's best friend, it would explain why the man got away with so much in Rick's presence. Thankfully, Gguk didn't care much about Shane so after hearing that Rick had killed him, it actually made him proud of the leader. It wasn't everyday that someone could go against a person that they love just for the better of themselves and the people around them. So hearing that Rick killed his best friend, because he was becoming too dangerous for the group, made Jungkook proud and happy that Rick was the leader.

"You saw what he was like," Jungkook's crosses his arms over his chest and uncomfortably shuffled on his feet, listening to Rick speak,"How he pushed me, how he compromised us, how he _threatened_ us."

Honestly Jungkook didn't feel like he should witness this argument, it felt like he had been visiting a couple on a brink of a divorce, and as they were serving him dinner, they suddenly started an argument over who should pour him wine and who should feed him rice. Jungkook was the acquaintance stuck in the middle of a couple bickering, watching the argument quickly escalate into someone grabbing his dish and throwing it at the other person.

"He staged the whole Randall thing, led me out to put a bullet in my back!" Rick's breathing began to pick up, and his face twisted due to anger and frustration. He rubbed his sweaty forehead before snapping his head towards Jungkook and gesturing his gun harshly towards the boy , causing him to jerk back in mild fear,"He would've done it to you too!" Rick exclaimed, receiving wide eyed looks from the terrified group members as their eyes momentarily flickered over to Jungkook,"He gave me no choice!"

Jungkook's head dropped down to the ground, allowing a few strands of his hair to fall in front of his face, shielding him like a curtain. He shifted on his feet due to the sudden attention before releasing a breath of relief when Rick began to speak again, taking the attention off of him.

But even then, Jungkook still held onto Rick's words, would Shane have really put a bullet in my back, if Rick hadn't stopped him from bringing me with them? Jungkook felt a newfound paranoia creep up his neck and wrap around him like a snake choking its prey, how many people here still didn't trust me enough to put a bullet in my back? Gguk wondered, glancing around the group warily.

"He was my friend, but he came after me!" Rick hissed darkly, his gaze laying heavily on each group member. The sound of a broken sob caused Jungkook's eyes to snap up and look at Carl, who broke down and shoved his head into Lori's chest, muffling his throaty wails.

Jungkook bit his lip anxiously, his shaky fingers kneading the sleeve of his shirt as he reluctantly turned away from Carl and back to Rick,"Maybe you people are better off without me. Go ahead" Rick gestured towards the dark forest around him, the anger on his face washing away as a mask of nonchalance took its place,"I say there's a place for us, but maybe...maybe it's another pipe dream. Maybe I'm fooling myself again!" Rick stated, his brows drawing together, causing a few creases to form in his forehead,"Why don't you....why don't you go and find out yourself! Send me a postcard! Lets see how far you'll get!"

Jungkook shivered at Rick's words and the tone they were uttered in. He bit his lip, swallowing thickly and taking a reluctant step away from him. Gguk always told himself that the leader wouldn't hurt him, he knew it was the truth, but Rick's tone and aggression was causing him to feel on edge. Just like it did to all the other group members who were saying nothing, and just stared at Rick with parted lips and eyes filled with horror.

"No takers? Fine. But let's get one thing straight," Jungkook hesitatingly looked up and connected his eyes with Rick's piercing gaze. The leader's eyes bored into his for a second before skimming over to the next person,"If you're staying,"Jungkook's lips straightened into a thin line and his brows raised as he waited patiently for Rick's one-liner. Rick licked his lips, a small glare appearing on his face,

"This isn't a democracy anymore."

The pale, horror stricken faces were engraved into Jungkook's mind as he slowly turned to look at the rest of the group. He could even see some of the members not breathing or not looking away from Rick as the leader turned around and left again.

But despite the horror on everyone's faces, the only thing Jungkook could think was,

_Wasn't Rick already the leader?_


	15. Departure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ⚠️ Disclaimer! ⚠️
> 
> This is ACT II of the book and there’s been a few months time skip between this chapter and the previous one!

A small family of walkers mindlessly shuffled around an abandoned mansion. Their worn out shoes scraped against the grime covered floor while their yellow eyes remained unfocused and hazy.

What used to be a beautiful mansion with a wide staircase leading to a second floor, was now a rundown building for travellers to stop by and rest. The once spotless walls had splatters of blood and specks of dirt covering them. While the windows, that used to show the outside of a blooming garden, were now empty frames and shattered glass shards laying on the dirty ground. The vines from the garden travelled into the house, slithering up the sides of the walls and wrapping around the furniture.

The family that once called this mansion their home, was, now, nothing more than mindless corpses searching for something to feast on.

The only sound you could hear in the mansion was the glass crunching under the feet of the walkers, and the low growls rumbling in the back of their throats. The peaceful yet disturbing silence was shattered when the double doors to the mansion were slammed open. The doors hit the walls behind them with a loud bang, catching the attention of the three walkers.

Their inaudible growls quickly turned into hostile snarls as their attention was captured by the intruders. A curly haired man marched inside the house, his gun raised and his face blank. He didn't give the walker enough time to attack him before he fired. The bullet pierced the head of one of the walkers, causing its lifeless body to fall to the ground.

A dark skinned man immediately followed after the leader, the fire poker in his hands gripped tightly as he viciously shoved it through the skull of one of the remaining walkers.

The door was pushed open wider as a young Male sauntered inside the house, his ebony coloured eyes fleeted over the dead corpses by his feet before he focused on the remaining one.

He raised his black army knife and flung it at the walker, only for the handle of the knife to slam into the walker's head before falling to the ground with a clunk. The walker stumbled back before continuing charging at the group, growls ripping through its salivating mouth.

The boy cringed, his nose scrunching up at the throw before he stole a peak at the leader. Rick sighed and ignored the throw as he ducked into another room to check if the house was safe.

An arrow flew through the air, piercing the eye of the remaining walker, causing it to fall back and hit the fall behind it. Jungkook's lips drew into a thin line as Daryl pushed past him and walked further into the house.

Sighing, Jungkook picked up his knife and shoved it back into its holder. He pulled out his gun and began to approach the stairs to the second floor. The steps creaked under his weight as he made his way upstairs, admiring the chandler swinging above his head.

His eyes followed the intricate designs dancing along the once white walls, only to be hidden behind all the blood and vines. Jungkook sucked in a deep breath, his nose twitching as the dust ran into his nostrils, tickling his nose.

He cautiously stepped onto the second floor, wondering if the floor would collapse under his weight. Jungkook's brows furrowed before he shrugged, not caring if it did. It's not like he'll loose anything.

Jungkook carelessly stepped onto the second floor, ignoring the screaming tiles underneath him as he turned left and made his way down the hall. As he walked past the rooms, he peaked inside each one to catch a glimpse of what was hidden within. Turns out it wasn't anything peculiar.

_Bedroom._

_Bathroom._

_An office._

_Who even needed an office?_

_A small library._

_Ew, _books_, why would someone do this to themselves?_

Jungkook rolled his eyes, the disgust filled stare turning away from the small library in the house as he made his way towards the last room. He pushed open the door, knocking on the doorframe and waiting for a few seconds.

When the silence was the only thing that followed after his knocks, Jungkook slipped into the room, allowing his eyes to examine it.

The floor was covered with dark wooden tiles and the walls were a snow white colour, except for the wall across from him that was a soft blue colour. A bed with messy, dark blue sheets was pushed against the blue wall and some pictures were hanging along the walls.

Jungkook stepped further into the room, turning towards the closet built inside the wall to his left. He pulled open the closet, observing the clothes hanging off of the coat hangers. Gguk ran his hand over the white dress-shirts and suits before pulling open a drawer, inside the closet, and rummaging thought the more casual clothes.

Jungkook pulled out a black, long sleeved shirt before stepping away from the closet. The shirt he currently had on, had a few holes in the front, allowing the cold air to seep in and bite at his skin.

Jungkook took off his cream coloured jacket and pulled off the sweaty shirt he had been wearing for a month. He dropped the rag to the ground before slipping on the new shirt and pulling his jacket back around his shoulders.

"_Jungkook_?"

Rick's voice echoed throughout the house, causing the said boy to freeze and look towards the door to the room. Signing, Jungkook cleared his throat, from the lack of use today, and shouted back,"Clear!"

He could hear the rest of the group enter the house and settle into one of the rooms downstairs. Jungkook sat down on the blue bed and placed his elbows on his knees before pressing his face into the palms of his hands. He released a deep sigh and squeezed his eyes shut, allowing his shoulders to slouch.

These past couple of months haven't been easy on the group. After the end of democracy, the group was tense and on edge around Rick. Some sent him hidden glares, others responded to him in a dry, passive aggressive manner. Some even going as far as to ignore Rick completely as if he didn't exist, even when he tried speaking to them.

For a while, Jungkook tried to ignore it, he even tried to diminish the drift between the leader and the rest of the group by talking to both sides, to try and make them understand each other. But no one listened to him, thinking that he was too young and naive to know much about serious problems like this.

As months went by, Jungkook grew tired of the heated stares that they shot Rick, when they thought no one was looking, or the unsaid, opinionated thoughts that lingered in the minds of the group members. He grew tired of listening to everyone bicker and fight over what to do and where to go. He grew tired of watching the power struggle and the fight for dominance as the group tested Rick's leadership skills.

Jungkook was left with no other choice but to distanced himself from the group.

Instead of going on runs with Maggie, Glenn and Rick, or staying at the camp to protect Lori, Carl and Carol, Jungkook went off with Daryl to hunt. The two would usually split up and head in different direction to give each other some space and solitude.

Going off to runs alone made Jungkook feel like he wasn't a part of the group. It caused him to remember the times that he didn't join the group and was on his own. He missed those times.

When on a supply run, Jungkook would find a small store, grab some food and water, before finding an isolated corner in the rundown store and staying for a while, enjoying the peaceful silence and lack of tension in the air.

Jungkook began to skip the group meetings, where they discussed where to go next, too exhausted to hear their endless bickering. It didn't help that whenever he tried to speak or state his opinion on the matter, the group would ignore his words and focus on their own way at doing things.

He slowly drifted away from the group even when they were sitting around the fire, sleeping. Jungkook would usually sit a bit further away from the members, his eyes wide open as he stared into the black abyss that was the dark forest.

He didn't even notice the thoughts about leaving the group, invading his mind, before he caught himself wondering what it would feel like to stand up in the middle of the night, when everyone was sleeping, and just leaving without a word. Jungkook would always shrug the thought off, not wanting to encourage it or act on it.

But as time went by, he found himself thinking about leaving the group everyday. His thoughts quickly went from leaving the group to why bother at all? Jungkook was exhausted of waking up everyday, only to go on runs for food that would be eaten when the next day rolled by. He grew tired of killing walkers only to come back to a group that wouldn't utter a single word to him or would continuously bicker with each other. Every day he would repeat this continuous process before laying down on the floor, in their momentary camp, and drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

Jungkook didn't want to keep going, not with the group, nor without it. He knew that leaving the group wouldn't change the lack of motivation in him. Jungkook was tired and he wanted an escape, but the world didn't give him one so he had to create his own.

He grew more reckless around the things that could end in his death, sometimes even wondering what it would feel like to be bitten and have the excuse of having someone shoot him in the head to stop him from turning.

For the first time in his life, Jungkook felt hopeless. And the lack of hope made him terrified.

Jungkook shifted on the bed, raising his head and looking at the white wall in front of him. The sound of paper crunching underneath him caused Jungkook to stand up and pull the bed's messy covers away.

A dark red, crumbled comic layed under the covers. A red man was displayed in the cover with bold, letters above him.

"Daredevil." Jungkook murmured with furrowed eyebrows, reaching out and picking up the comic.

He sat back down on the bed and opened the comic, images and boxes of text immediately greeting him. Jungkook's lips barely twitched up as he flipped through the comic and his heart jumped in his chest at the sight of the familiar comic.

Jungkook remembered reading manga back in Korea and he was introduced to comics in America. The boy loved them, even though he hated reading books, he claimed that comics and books weren't the same thing and you shouldn't put the two in the same category.

A loud crash could be heard downstairs, causing Jungkook to jump and look away from the comic in his hands. He looked towards the hallway of the mansion, his brows furrowing in concern when he didn't hear anything else follow after the crash.

Jungkook stood up with a deep exhale, the smile on his face gone without a trace. He threw the comic on the bed before turning away and marching out of the room, walking back downstairs to rejoin the group.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

_"Let's go, Jungkook. You're gonna miss your plane."_

_A soft voice filled Jungkook's ears as he stared down at the mangas, debating which one to grab. The voice startled him, causing him to jump and look up wide eyed._

_His mother, Jeon Sora, snickered under her breath, her eyes squinting at the corners, creating creases while her smile showed off her heart shaped smile._

_Jungkook rolled his eyes, ignoring his mother's snicker or the urgent tone lacing her words,"I just want to buy this." Gguk reached out and quickly made a decision, picking up the Tokyo Ghoul one._

_Sora raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest and giving him a stern look,"You're not getting that, Jeongguk, you have a whole collection at home."_

_A pout appeared on Jungkook's face before he clutched the comic book tighter and gave her an annoyed look,"Yeah, but they're at home. I'm not going to be home for a year."_

_"So your gonna read this specific comic for a year?" Sora raised an eyebrow, pursuing her lips._

_A small blush coated Jungkook's cheeks before he hesitantly nodded,"Ye...yeah! I guess, I mean, I can't leave it here. It looks so lonely and sad by itself." Gguk pouted sadly, looking up at his mother with wide puppy eyes._

_Sora squinted her own, staring down at him with a stern gaze. After a few seconds of Jungkook's eyes growing in size and his button lip jutting out, Sora gave in with a heavy huff._

_"Fine! Come on or you're going to miss your plane." Sora grumbled, pulling him towards the cash register. A beaming Jungkook slipped after her, giving the woman at the register his manga as his mother bought it for him._

_Sora didn't have much when she was growing up. Her mother died by giving birth to her while her father worked in 2 jobs to provide for them. Sora never had the option of choosing what to eat or wear. She would be grateful for whatever her father could afford or bring to their small apartment._

_But sora couldn't deny that there was a hint of sorrow growing in her heart when she always watched her classmates running around with brand new clothes cladding their bodies or the newest collection toys hanging from their arms. In the result of her desires not being fulfilled, Sora promised herself that when she had a child, she'll spoil them and they'll never have to worry about not having enough money to buy them something their heart desires. Hence why she always gave into Jungkook's requests._

_Jungkook beamed, taking the shopping bag and giving him mother a silent kiss on the cheek as a thank you. Sora smiled faintly before grabbing Jungkook by his wrist and pulling him where he had to climb in._

_Jungkook huffed, allowing his mother to pull him away, the annoyance on his face showing. He ignored the way Sora began to ramble-asking if he packed everything and telling him to call her everyday. Jungkook rolled his eyes, knowing that it will be only a year and she was only being dramatic._

_Jungkook got accepted by an exchange program that allowed him to travel to America for a year and study there. When he found out that he won the competition, Jungkook was ecstatic because he had always wanted to get away from home and grow more independent._

_Sora jabbed her elbow into Jungkook's ribs, making him wince and snap out of his thoughts. Grumbling under his breath, Jungkook rubbed his side and gave his mother a glare, only to see her and a flight attendant look at him expectedly._

_A blush immediately appeared on Jungkook's face and he gave the flight attendant a nervous smile before offering her his ticket. She looked it, scanning it before nodding and stepping aside, allowing him to enter the plane._

_"Well I guess this is all, bye, eomma!" Jungkook quickly rushed out, grabbing his stuff, ready to flee._

_"Jungkook, Wait!" A hand grabbed him by the elbow and jerked him back, pulling him further off to the side._

_A defeated sigh left Jungkook's thin lips and he turned to face his mother, feeling impatient and annoyed at her. Sora sighed, seeing the look before offering him a gentle smile._

_"Jungkook," The said boy hummed, taping his foot against the ground impatiently, ready to go,"The world is a nasty place, it gives shelter to bad people and punishes the good. It doesn't discriminate, it doesn't care that you're innocent or not. It takes and it takes, and if you're not careful, it will take from you too."_

_Jungkook's face scrunched up in confusion and he fully looked at his mother, her words finally capturing his attention,"What are you talking about?"_

_"You're like a balloon, Bunny," Sora smiled faintly, reaching out a shaking hand and running her knuckles over Jungkook's chubby cheeks,"If there isn't anyone to ground you, you'll float away."_

_Jungkook's nose scrunched up even more as he stared down at his mother in compete and utter confusion, not understanding what she was talking about,_

_"What?"_

_"I'll give you something that will help you stay grounded." Sora murmured quietly, her eyes tearing up as she gently undid the compass around her neck and extended it towards a wide eyed Jungkook._

_"But....you never....eomm-"_

_"Please, Ggukie, just take it. And when you're feeling lost and confused or scared, just open it and look where the needle is pointing." Sora mumbled, gently taking a hold of Jungkook's hand and placing the compass in his open palm._

_(I know how compasses work but just imagine that when the needle pointing somewhere, it's always gonna be in the direction of South Korea.)_

_Jungkook's eyes softened and he inhaled deeply, giving his mother a small nod and a faint smile. He carefully placed the compass around his neck, his back tense as the heavy weight of carrying the thing fell on his shoulders._

_"You're a bunny, Jeongguk, don't let anyone try and turn you into a predator."_

_Jungkook's face yet again scrunched up in confusion,"I have no idea what you're talking about."_

_Sora snickered under her breath, quickly pinching his chubby cheeks before Jungkook could whine and push her hands away._

_"The plane from Busan to Atlanta leaving in 20 minutes."_

_Jungkook's face perked up when he heard the announcement being made, he grinned widely, showing off his bunny teeth before quickly hugging his mother, not even giving her the opportunity to hug back before he was turning around and dashing where he should board the plane._

_"Bye, eomma, see you in a year!"_


	16. Cannibalism

Jungkook trudged through the forest, his feet occasionally stumbling over fallen branches and roots. His face was pulled into a heavy scowl as the cold air nipped at his pale cheeks, turning them a light red colour. He flexed his fingers around the dead rabbit's legs, swinging it back and forth as he walked back to the camp.

After he went off with Daryl to hunt together, the two split up and went their separate ways once again. Sometimes Daryl went with jungkook and taught him some things about hunting and tracking, momentarily distracting Jungkook from the void inside him.

Today was one of those days where he had been trying to hunt something for hours- throwing his knife or even setting up traps to capture oblivious animals wondering through the forest. And after two hours of trying and trying, and _trying_, a small rabbit wondered into one of his traps.

Jungkook grumbled under his breath, his nose scrunching up as he pushed through a thick curtain of leaves. A small whoosh reached Jungkook's ears and a brush of air ran over his cheek as an arrow flew past his head and lodged into the tree behind him.

Jungkook yelped, jumping back in alarm before snapping his head in the direction the arrow came from. His wide eyes looked at Daryl with alarm,"Shit." The other hunter murmured, walking over to the boy, looking over him for injuries before grabbing his arrow and swiftly pulling it out of the tree.

"You should be more careful." Daryl scolded gruffly, turning around and walking away from a wide eyed Jungkook.

"Ex..._excuse_ me? _You're_ the one who almost shot me to death!" Jungkook hissed quietly, stomping after Daryl, his grip tightening around the dead rabbit.

Daryl hummed dismissively, sparing a small glance towards the rabbit in Jungkook's hand as they made their way back to their camp,"Caught that?"

Jungkook's anger washed away in a mere second as soon as Daryl questioned about the rabbit he caught,"Yes! Look! All by myself!"

Jungkook sped up so that he was waking next to Daryl and proudly showed off the rather large rabbit. Daryl hummed and gave Jungkook a small nod, "Nice. You'll get even better with time."

Jungkook beamed slightly, his heart fluttering from receiving a praise from someone he admired. Even thought Jungkook drifted apart from the group, he never managed to do it with Daryl.

The boy tried to distance himself so that it would be easier to leave, he really did, but whenever he tried to avoid Daryl and create a drift between them, it was as if Daryl knew what Jungkook was doing and immediately destroyed Jungkook's plans by going on a simple hunting trip together or by giving Gguk a few praises and compliments that made the boy feel better.

The two walked in comfortable silence, used to each other's presence and relieved that there wasn't any tension between them.

They finally reached the road where the group had stopped to rest and figure out what to do now since they were running low on fuel.

As soon as Jungkook saw the group crowded around one of the cars, discussing where to go, he paused at the edge of the forest, not stepping a foot closer. He didn't feel comfortable around the other members anymore and he sure as hell didn't want to go there now that they were having a group meeting.

"Don't wander off." Daryl muttered, sending Jungkook a pointed stare, knowing full well that the boy wanted nothing more than to turn around and head off for a few more hours.

Jungkook huffed in annoyance, watching as Daryl hoisted his crossbow higher up his shoulder and marched towards the group. He turned his gaze away and focused on the rabbit in his arms.

Jungkook pulled out a small rope, that Daryl gave him a week ago, in case he actually caught something. He tied the rope around the rabbits legs and wrapped the other end of the rope to the side of his jeans, securing his pray firmly before grinning slightly at his accomplishment.

A cold breeze ran over Jungkook's skin and ruffled his dirty brown locks- his hair had grown longer and darker over the past couple of moths, Maggie stating that he was finally maturing out of the fetus stage, to which Jungkook only replied with a small huff of air.

Gguk grabbed the zipper to his jacket and quickly zipped it shut, releasing a breath of relief when he was protected from the cold breeze. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and shifted on his feet before looking back up at the group.

Jungkook noticed that some of them already walked away and began to scatter, including Rick and Daryl, who nodded the leader over and began to walk in Jungkook's direction.

Jungkook tensing was an understatement, his muscles froze and his back straightened as he watched Rick walk over. He chewed on his bottom lip, clenching his fists in his pockets as the leader and hunter finally got to him.

Rick sent Jungkook a small nod, receiving a tense one in return before the hunter lead them back into the forest.

"Where are we going?" Rick raised an eyebrow, his voice gruff with a hint of fatigue in it.

Jungkook decided to keep quiet and just trudge behind the two, watching the interaction silently.

Daryl shrugged, glancing behind him towards Rick before taking a small peak at Jungkook,"Thought you needed to clear ya' head."

Rick nodded as the three walked through the forest, looking for something to hunt. Jungkook was still tense as he walked behind them, his tongue seeming to have gone slack and not being able to form a sentence due to Rick's presence.

"Jungkook."

The said boy hummed quietly as Daryl spoke up, looking at him over his shoulder. Rick looked too, his brows furrowing when Daryl slowed down so that the boy would walk slightly next to the younger.

"Ye' plan on eating that?" Daryl gestured towards the rabbit attached to Gguk's hip, swinging with every step he took.

Jungkook bit his lip harder, allowing his eyes to quickly drift to Rick, who was walking in front of the two, not looking behind him, before nodding faintly,"I....It's more delicious when you hunt it yourself."

Daryl nodded with a grunt, a ghost of a smirk tugging on his lips as he gazed down at the doe eyed boy,"Isn't it considered cannibalism?"

Jungkook eyes grew wide and his lips parted in offence, he stopped walking and sent Daryl a sharp glare. The man smirked in return, while Rick let out a breathy snicker, turning his head to look at the two.

Jungkook huffed, his cheeks coating with a hint of red. He rolled his eyes and continued to walk, raising his hand and pushing Daryl harshly, when he was walking past the man.

Daryl's smirk immediately disappeared into a stern look and he pushed Jungkook in return, causing him to stumble and nearly fall into the wall of bushes next to them,"Respect your elders, brat."

Rick raised an eyebrow at them, standing off to the side with his arms crossed over his chest. He watched them with a hint of smile on his face, a weird contrast compared to the exhaustion filled scowl he always wore.

Jungkook's nose scrunched up and his eyes squinted at Daryl's retreating back. Sucking in a deep breath, Jungkook darted forward and smacked Daryl upside the back of the head before launching into a sprint.

The hunter was quicker- placing his foot in front of Jungkook's feet, causing him to trip and barrel forward, falling into the wall of bushes near them.

A yelp left Jungkook's throat as he fell through the thick curtain of leaves and landed on his stomach, scraping his hands as he tried to catch himself. Jungkook winced at the jab of pain in his lower belly and knee, his fingers gripping the metal underneath him tighter.

"_Shit._"

"_Jungkook? You alright_?"

Once he heard Daryl curse and Rick call out to him, the said boy looked up and glanced at the bushes behind him. He sucked in a deep breath, his attention quickly captured by the feeling of metal under his chest and palms.

"Ye...yeah! I'm alright!" Jungkook alerted his group mates so that they wouldn't have to worry anymore.

Standing up, Jungkook winced at the small throb in his palms and dusted the dirt off his clothes. He looked where he had fallen and immediately noticed train tracks leading off into the distance.

Furrowing his brows, Jungkook ignored Rick's order for him to come back to them, and walked further down the tracks. The trees next to him quickly diminished until it revealed an open space next to the train tracks. Jungkook stopped walking once he reached the open space and looked through it.

"Oh my god!" Gguk gasped loudly, his eyes growing wide at what he saw.

"You need to come here!" Jungkook called out loudly, knowing that the other two would hear him.

A few grunts and concerned questions filled Gguk's ears but he ignored them and stared at what was in front of him, a faint smile adoring his dirty face. Two pairs of footsteps filled his ears and he finally tore his eyes away from the structure in front of him, Jungkook wordlessly stepped aside and pointed towards the building he had noticed.

A concrete prison was what captured Jungkook's attention and caused a small smile to erupt on Rick's face. The walls were grey and thick, and it had a few towers lining up in front of the main building, perfect to look out from.

There was a large field surrounding the main building- perfect for gardening and growing crops, or even just walking around with no weapons strapped to your hip. A tall fence enclosed the field, creating a safe environment that didn't allow any walkers to enter.

The only problem was that the prison was overrun by walker inmates that roamed the field aimlessly. And Jungkook was sure that there would be more inside.

"That's a shame." Daryl grumbled, eyeing the field filled with walkers.

Yet Rick didn't respond. Jungkook allowed himself to turn his head and look at the leader, finally noticing the smile dancing across his lips and the determined glint lighting up his eyes.

_Well, shit._

Jungkook thought, turning to look back at the overrun prison that they would soon try and clear.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

A deep hum filled the empty store as a male shuffled around and stuffed bottles of medicine into a dark green backpack. A hand covered in black fingerless gloves stretched out and grabbed a packed of peanuts from the front counter. The Male immediately ripped the packet open and dropped a few peanuts into his mouth, momentarily pausing the humming.

The Male smirked, leaning on the counter behind him, his black eyes dancing over the pharmacy before him.

The shelves had been toppled over, causing the few leftover medicine bottles to drop to the ground and roll away. A dead walker with a small throwing knife stuck into the side of its skull, laid across one of the broken shelves. It's limbs limp and eyes wide open, staring up at the cobwebbed ceiling blankly. Blood trickled down its head and drippled down onto the broken shelf beneath it, staining it red.

The ground of the pharmacy was dirty, covered in dirt- from all the people that had come inside, and a thick layer of dust- from not being cleaned for months. Bloodied footsteps lead throughout the store, starting from large pools of blood underneath the dead bodies of three walkers scattered around the pharmacy, and leading to the male resting against the counter, casually eating peanuts.

Stuffing another handful of peanuts into his mouth, the male pushed off of the counter and walked through the pharmacy. As he walked past the walker laying on the shelf, he reached out and swiftly pulled out his throwing knife.

A small scowl appeared on his face after seeing the blood sticking to the once spotless blade. The male bent down and wiped the blood into the body of the dead walker, smirking in satisfaction once the blade was relatively clean.

The Male straightened out, resuming his humming as he delicately placed his blade into one of the many holsters adoring his body. He wore a pair of black skinny jeans and a black, skintight shirt that wrapped around his muscles snuggly. A black bomber jacket was thrown over the outfit, hiding the shoulder holsters underneath the jacket, that had two throwing knives on each side of the male's chest. A thigh holster was snugly wrapped around the male's left thigh, holding 6 similar throwing knives and a holster was wrapped around his waist, finally holding a small gun.

The male pushed past the door, the small bell ringing above his head as he strutted outside, immediately being greeted by a dark skinned women. Her face shone with annoyance as she crossed her arms over her chest, waiting patiently. Two walkers were chained to her, growling and shuffling around, not attacking either of them.

The Male raises an eyebrow, offering the woman the packet of peanuts, “Peanut?" His deep voice was filled with amusement and false innocence as he gently shook the bag.

The woman rolled her eyes, smacking his hand away and causing a few peanuts to fly out and fall to the ground,"Seriously, Taehyung?"

Kim Taehyung- a 23 year old male who wasn't affected by the apocalypse in a bad way. Don't get him wrong, loosing his job at McDonald's and having all of his university and apartment bills disappearing was heartbreaking. But at least now he can go wherever he wants and do whatever he wants. The worse that could happen is getting bitten and dying, but Taehyung didn't care about dying. He welcomed death like it was an old friend.....of course if he _had_ friends.

A fake pout appeared on Taehyung's face as he stared down at the fallen peanuts,"Rest in peace, soldiers." He did a little bow and wiped his dry eyes as if they had tears in them.

The woman rolled her eyes yet a small smile made its way onto her face before she quickly hid it away,"Lets go, Andrea is waiting."

Taehyung stopped acting and immediately straightened out, walking next to the women. His face was blank and serious, a drastic change from the small act that took place a second ago.

"Did you gather anything useful?" The woman questioned, glancing at the taller Male next to her.

He hummed in return, a small smirk tugging at the corners of his rosy lips,"Medicine, condoms, _peanuts_." He shook the packet of peanuts in his hand.

"Why the hell do you need condoms?" Her face scrunched up in disgust as she eyed the Male next to her.

Taehyung smirked widely, munching on his food before sending the dark skinned woman a small wink,"Who knows, maybe I'll find myself a nice zombie girl, or guy, and fall _in love_." Taehyung finished off with a dreamy sigh as the two continued to walk through the abandoned town and approached the forest next to it.

The woman raised an eyebrow and didn't even bother looking at him as she shook her head,"I didn't know you were into necrophilia."

"It's only one of my kinks. Want to know the others? I can demonstrate." Taehyung purred, stepping closer to the older woman.

The woman shuddered in disgust and quickly shoved him away,"Get your horny ass away from my religious one." She sped up and walked faster as Taehyung grinned widely, running after her.

He easily caught up to her and snorted under his breath,"You know you can't escape me, Michonne."

"Unfortunately." Michonne murmured, looking away to hide the fond smile appearing on her face.

The pair had known each other for a year now. They had met when they were both in a dark place and didn't want any company, including each other's. After meeting each other, Taehyung thought that she was creepy with her two chained up walkers, while Michonne didn't care enough about him and just left.

After two weeks, the two ran into each other again but this time, Taehyung was running from a small group of walkers. Reluctantly, Michonne helped Taehyung kill all of them before trying to leave. But Taehyung wouldn't let her without telling her a small pun about the zombie apocalypse.

Michonne was unimpressed.

After a few days, the two ran into each other again. But this time Taehyung believed it was fate and followed after her, not letting her wander off. Michonne was too tired to say something so she didn't, allowing the male to follow her.

After a few months of silence or few word conversations, the two had formed a small bond. They found out each other's pasts and realised that they were a good team- understanding each other wordlessly and trusting each other enough to sleep while the other kept watch.

"Is that why you're smiling?" Taehyung taunted playfully, stuffing the remaining peanuts in his mouth before dropping the bag to the ground.

"Don't litter." Michonne scolded, her face blank yet her words light and playful.

Taehyung snorted, shoving his hands in his jacket,"It's the apocalypse, I don't think the dead would care."

Michonne didn't say anything in return and the two continued to walk in silence.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Jungkook's doe eyes snapped around, the grip on his knife not faltering as he kept a lookout for any walkers. 

After finding the prison, the three males went back to the group to gather everyone before making their way over to the overrun structure. Of course everyone had agreed to try and take over the prison since it was their best option at surviving- considering Lori was 9 months pregnant.

Rick was cutting a hole in the fence, while the group crowded around him, watching out for walkers and killing any stray ones.

As soon as Rick finished cutting the holes, he called out in a hushed whisper,"Come on! Hurry!"

Jungkook kept staring out in the open, waiting patiently as Lori, Carl, Hershel and the rest slid through the cut in the fence before turning around.

"Hurry!" Rick hissed at T-Dog and Jungkook. The latter quickly slid through the small slit, careful not to cut himself on the sharp edges of the hole.

Once he was on the other side, Jungkook straightened out and went to help Daryl and Glenn, keep the hole open for Rick and T-Dog. Once the leader was inside, Daryl and Jungkook pushed the slit in the fence shut, and Glenn tied the two side together with red rope.

As soon as Glenn had finished tying the hole shut, a female walker launched at them, causing Jungkook and Glenn to jump back in alarm.

The group quickly turned away and began to run down the small isle between two fences, that separated them from the walker inmates and the ones outside the prison grounds.

Jungkook quickly followed after the group, his legs aching as he ran. Walkers launched at him, their snarling mouths wide open, showing off their rotten teeth. Jungkook cringed at the sight yet ignored the walkers as they clung to the fence, trying to push through it and bite him.

The group reached the main front gate and the entrance into the yard. It was an open space with a large gate that was squished between two watchtowers. Jungkook stopped running and breathed heavily, wiping away the sweat clinging to his forehead.

"It's perfect." Rick murmured, his eyes fleeting over the yard.

Jungkook noticed the glint of excitement and hope in the leader's eyes, causing him to furrow his brows and quickly look away. Yeah, the prison could possibly be a safe home for them, but a safe environment didn't fix a broken group.

"We need to shut the gate," Rick pointed towards the gate on the other side of the field, that separated the yard from the main building,"If we can take out these walkers, we'll have the field by the night." Rick gestured towards the walkers roaming the field and the ones gripping the fence, trying to get to them.

"But how do we shut the gate?" Hershel wondered out loud and Jungkook had to agree. The walkers were everywhere and getting to the other side of the field was nearly impossible.

"I'll do it, you guys cover me." Glenn spoke up, making everyone look at him.

Jungkook crossed his arms over his chest and frowned, looking from Glenn to the walkers surrounding the small space they were trapped in.

"No,"Maggie shook her head, interrupting Glenn before he could say something else,"Suicide run."

"No. You, Maggie and Beth draw as many as you can over there. Kill them through the fence." Rick ordered, pointing towards the right side of the field.

Jungkook perked up after hearing Maggie's words, snapping his head towards her. A small smile tugged on his lips before he quickly wiped it away and spoke up,"Ill go for the gate, I'm the fastest."

Rick's attention immediately went to Jungkook, along with the rest of the groups. They sent him looks of disbelief and shakes of head, saying that he shouldn't. But Jungkook only stared at Rick, watching the leader as he shared a look with Daryl before looking back at Jungkook, staring at him with no expression.

Rick shook his head, ignoring Jungkook's words and turning to instruct the others,"Daryl, you go to the other tower. Carol, you've become a pretty good shot, take your time, don't let amo go to waste. Hershel, you and Carl take this tower."

Jungkook scoffed under his breath and rolled his eyes at Rick's ignorance, he turned around and marched after Daryl, ignoring everyone around him. Rick's voice still reached Gguk's ears and mixed with the growls of the walkers, he clenched his jaw and tuned them out.

Jungkook swiped his knife out of its holster and gripped it tightly as he followed Daryl- the only person in the group that he could actually tolerate.

Jungkook ran up the watchtower, his nose scrunching up at the dust tickling his nose and the creaky stairs under his feet. He reached the top and pushed past the metal door, stepping onto the watch place and looking down at the field.

Daryl spared him a small glance before turning his attention back on the field. Maggie, Glenn and Beth were banging on the other side of the fence, drawing the attention of the walkers and causing them to stumble towards them. When they reached the fence, the three group members shoved poles through the fence and stabbed their weapons through the skulls of the walkers. 

The main gate was pulled open and Rick slipped into the field- the gate being shut right behind him. Rick began to run through the field, the walkers creating a small path for him as they stumbled towards the noise Maggie, Glenn and Beth created.

Jungkook switched his knife with his gun and aimed it at the walkers that got closer to Rick. It was difficult to shoot from this distance, especially if the target was so small. But after a few times of shooting walkers in the neck or shoulder, Jungkook finally got a hang of it and shot them down.

Rick continued to run through the field, rapidly approaching the wide open gate. He shot down any walkers that reached him and continued to run, trusting the rest of the group to kill the ones he couldn't see.

Jungkook's eyes squinted and his jaw clenched when his anger flared again- remembering Rick's actions a few minutes prior. His grip on his gun tightened and he pressed the trigger- a bullet flying through the air and hitting the ground in front of Rick's feet.

The leader momentarily paused and looked back up at Jungkook, who's eyes had widened at his own actions before he murmured quietly,"Sorry." Daryl eyed him from the corners of his eyes, while Jungkook bit his lip, ignoring the look he received.

Rick shut the gate and locked it using some sort of weird tool, before he turned around and ran towards the watchtower next to him.

Jungkook continued to kill the remaining walkers, a small smile tugging on the corners of his lips after seeing that Rick was safe and all they had to do was kill the remaining corpses.

Gunshots rung throughout the air, walker after walker falling to the ground lifelessly. The last walker alive stumbled around, not knowing in which direction to go since the gunshots echoed throughout the field. One last gunshot filled Jungkook's ears and he watched as the remaining walker fell to the ground lifelessly.

Jungkook sucked in a deep breath, a whiff of gunpowder and blood filling his nostrils before he put away his gun and enjoyed the silence coating the air.

Gguk glanced at the group, seeing their excitement and happiness as they grinned and hugged each other, admiring the open field. Jungkook began to feel bad considering he wouldn't be staying for long- maybe a week or two. But now that he knew the group would be safe, it would be easier to leave.

"Jungkook."

The said boy hummed, his gaze not turning away from the field or the group members. Daryl sighed, rubbing his forehead as he approached Jungkook and leaned against the railing next to him.

A tense silence engulfed the two, causing Jungkook to bite his lip and glanced at a blank faced Daryl. After a few seconds of not saying anything, Daryl finally spoke,

"Rick didn't allow you to run because he was worried for you. We saw the look in your eyes when Maggie mentioned that the run could be..._suicidal_," Daryl murmured gruffly, shifting awkwardly on his feet, giving away the fact that he wasn't good at emotional or deep talks.

Jungkook tensed after hearing Daryl's words, his grip on the railing tightening, causing his knuckles to turn white. He looked down at the ground below, not saying anything as Daryl pushed off of the railing and began to leave,"We're not as dumb as you think."


	17. Suicidal

_Dumb?_

No, no, Jungkook would never think Daryl and Rick were dumb. Maybe that Rick was oblivious to what was happening to his group members- being too focused on finding them a shelter and filling their tummies with food.

And Daryl.

Despite him being incredibly observant, Daryl didn't know how to approach serious and emotional situations, causing him to watch from afar and wait for someone else to notice and do something. Only when the situation turned dire, Daryl would open his mouth and speak, trying to steer the situation on the right path.

So _no_, they weren't dumb. Just oblivious and indifferent to the people around them.

"Ready?"

Jungkook looked away from the few pebbles he was kicking and turned to look at Rick. The leader had decided that it would be the best for everyone, to get into the prison as soon as possible, considering they needed the supplies hidden within the walls of it.

Rick gathered a handful of people, that would go in and take out the walkers by hand. While the rest of the group stayed on the other side of the fence and helped from over there- creating noise to distract and then kill the walkers with metal poles. The selected few, that would go in, were Maggie, Glenn, T-Dog, Daryl, Rick and of course, Jungkook.

The said boy gave Rick a wordless nod, not even looking at him as he did so. After Daryl told him that the two knew about his...reckless behaviour, Jungkook had decided to keep a distance from them. Not even bothering to look at them- feeling too ashamed and exposed to do so.

The rest of the group gave brief nods while bracing themselves for the upcoming few minutes. Jungkook, himself, made the last minute decision to unzip his jacket and roll up his sleeves- hoping that it would make it easier for him to move around if necessary.

Rick nodded absentmindedly, his eyes fleeting over the group one last time before grabbing the thingy that kept the gates shut and taking it off.

As soon as Rick slid the gate open, the group huddled together- shoulder to shoulder and back to back. They formed a tight circle so that no walker would sneak up on them and bite a chunk out of one of them.

Jungkook, too, was squished between Rick and Glenn. Beads of sweat rolled down his temple and his eyes darted across the yard as his knuckles turned white from how hard he was holding onto his knife.

_I'm not scared_, Jungkook whispered in his mind, the fear in his throat mixing with saliva before he gulped it down. His eyes glanced into the void pits of red that the walkers considered their eyes, _I'm not scared._

As soon as the group entered the infected filled yard, Hershel shut the gate behind them and locked it for good measure. Jungkook warily glanced behind him at the locked gate, his heart thumped in his chest before his eyes connected with Hershel's concerned gaze and he was forced to turn away.

The rest of the group members, who didn't follow into the yard, yelled and banged against the metal fence, trying to attract as much walkers as they could.

But the dead seemed to be more interested in the meal they could actually reach.

Sucking in a harsh breath, Jungkook's lips parted into a snarl before he raised his hand and stabbed the first oncoming walker. After that, the walkers mixed together and Jungkook lost track of how many he had killed. He could barely focus on his surrounding and the only thing that still kept him grounded, was Glenn's shoulder occasionally brushed against his own.

Gguk could faintly hear the rest of the group's shallow breathing, and occasional huffs and grunts. Jungkook, himself, was sweating and huffing every time he had to push away a walker twice his size, only to stab him between the eyes right after.

A male walker stumbled towards Jungkook, its lower jaw missing yet it's tongue still wiggled and flopped around. Jungkook nearly gagged at the sight, his nose scrunching up and his grip on the knife tightening. The larger male dragged its feet towards Gguk, it's buff arms extended as it launched at him.

The smaller boy huffed as he pressed his hand against the male's shoulder, to keep it away from himself. Jungkook raised his foot and kicked the side of the walker's leg, causing a sickening crunch to reach his ears before the walker fell down to its knees. Jungkook didn't waste any time to lift his knife and slam it into the walker's rotten skull.

Expecting another attack to immediately follow after this one, Jungkook was surprised when a walker didn't jump out on him. 

His gaze quickly lifted and he looked around him, spotting the blood covered pavement and dead bodies littering the ground. Jungkook looked at the rest of the group, immediately running his eyes over them to see if there were any bites or scratches. But their skin was only covered in sweat, dirt and blood.

Rick steadied his breathing and gestured for the rest of the group to follow after him. Jungkook quickly scrambled after the leader, occasionally glancing back to the locked gate behind him. He swallowed thickly, his fingers shifting on the knife in his hand as he followed Rick deeper into the prison's courtyard.

As Jungkook's feet quietly led him after Rick, the leader suddenly halted in his steps,"Shit." He quickly ducked behind the wall and pressed his back against it. He turned around and pushed against Jungkook's chest as a gesture for him to follow his movements.

Jungkook obeyed Rick and curiously glanced behind him, his eyes widened at the sight of a courtyard full to the brim with walkers. The worst part was that the gate, that could separate the walkers from the rest of the prison, wasn't locked, allowing the walkers access to the prison and the group.

Jungkook's eyes traveled over to the movement in the corner of his eye and he noticed a few walkers in riot gears stumbling over to them. Jungkook's blood ran cold at the sight of them being covered from head to toe in black gear.

_How do we kill them?_

Jungkook wondered in his mind. His back left the wall in an instant as he jumped back, finally noticing more walkers in riot gear emerge just from around the corner.

Jungkook took a couple of steps back, eying the new walkers, trying to look for a weak spot in their gear. An arrow swooshed past him as Daryl stepped up next to him and shot the walker guard, but the arrow bounced off of the helmet and landed on the ground.

Jungkook's eyes widened in alarm, his chapped lips parting as a breath of shock left him. The infected stumbled towards the group- Maggie And Glenn trying to hit them with their machetes, but the helmets prevented the weapons from piercing their skulls.

Jungkook blinked away his shock as he saw the walker grab Maggie and try to bite a chunk out of her shoulder. Gguk immediately sprinted towards her and grabbed the walker from behind, pulling it away from Maggie.

The walker struggled in Jungkook's arms, trying to break free and attack the girl in front. Jungkook ground his teeth together, his muscles clenching as his arms tightened around the walker.

Maggie eyed the walker for a second before launching forward and grabbing its head. Jungkook's brows furrowed in distress as Maggie lifted the walkers head, displaying the underside of its neck. Maggie snarled and shoved her knife deep into the walkers neck. The struggling walker stilled in Jungkook's hold, its full weight falling onto the boy, causing him to stumble slightly.

"See that?" Maggie breathed out in amazement. Jungkook smiled in return, his grip on the walker loosening as he allowed the dead body to fall to the ground.

The rest of the group followed after Maggie and shoved their weapons underneath the walkers helmets. Jungkook, too, slammed his foot in the back of a walker's leg, causing it to fall down to it's knees before he grabbed the walker's head and pulled it back. Jungkook flipped his knife around in his palm before stabbing it through the chin of the walker. The body fell to the ground lifelessly and Jungkook stepped back, turning his attention back on the rest of the group.

The group members were alright- not a scratch or a bite visible on their bodies. Their chests heaved up and down, skin glistening in the hot sun. Jungkook pushed away the wet strands of hair that fell into his face and wiped the sweat off of his forehead.

He took a notice of the courtyard full of walkers- snarling and banging against the now locked gate. He guessed that Daryl and Rick locked the gate while they were busy with the rest of the walkers. Jungkook eyed the small horde of walkers and his face scrunched up at the thought of them escaping the enclosure.

"Stop." Rick's voice caught Jungkook's attention and caused him to turn towards the leader.

Jungkook's brows furrowed as he stepped closer to the main group, occasionally glancing over to the group on the other side of the fence.

"Well it looks secure." Glenn spoke up, walking back over to Rick.

"Not from the look of that courtyard over there," Daryl gestured towards the walker filled courtyard behind him. His eyes glanced down at a female walker by his feet,"And that's a civilian."

"So the interior could be overrun by the walkers outside the prison." T-Dog murmured, leaning against a wall as he looked around the courtyard.

Jungkook chewed on his bottom lip, crossing his arms over his chest,"Well if there's walls down, what are we gonna do? We can't rebuild this whole place."

"We can't risk a blind spot."Rick nodded, glancing behind his shoulder at the door that led into the prison itself,"We have to push in."

Rick marched towards the metal door, he swung open the metal gate, causing a squeaking sound to reach Jungkook's sensitive ears. Rick entered the fenced stairway, that led up to the door, and quietly climbed the stairs.

Jungkook followed after Daryl and Rick, quietly walking up the stairs until he was standing in front of the metal door. Daryl grabbed the metal handle and hid behind the wall, while Rick stood directly in front of the door, his gun raised and ready to shoot.

Jungkook swallowed thickly, raising his knife slightly just in case something jumped out at him. Daryl held his breath before sliding the door open.

Rick immediately tensed, ready to strike whatever was in there. But instead of the prison being overrun with growling walkers, the only sound that reached their ears was the echo of the door sliding open.

Rick lowered his weapon and cautiously stepped through the door. He pushed open a gate with bars, earning himself another loud creak. Jungkook eyed the dark room in front of him before following after the two males in front of him.

Jungkook stepped inside the eerie quiet prison, his nose scrunching up when a whiff of dust ran into it. Gguk's eyes danced around the dimly lit room- the windows being only a few and those being too high up the ground for the light to properly enter the building.

Jungkook's footsteps were quiet as he walked after the leader, his feet leading him down a path of stairs before he stopped in the middle of the room. The only sound he could hear were the occasional water droplets landing against something hard and the footsteps of his group members.

Jungkook has always craved silence, the sound of growls coming from the walkers or the bickering of the group members, being too much for his sensitive ears. So the silence, that lived in the prison, was like a gentle caress to his ears. And Jungkook knew, he knew that when the group saw that the place was secure, the halls would be filled with chatters and bickering, and the silence would die out.

Jungkook eyed Rick, who was making his way up another flight of stairs, that led up to a small watch room overlooking the whole room.

His heart pumped in his chest as he watched Rick raise his knife and jump into the room. But instead of hearing the sound of struggle, Jungkook watched through the dirty window as Rick stood up from his crouching position and grabbed something.

The leader walked out of the room and descended down the stairs, holding his arm up to show off the set of keys he had acquired. Jungkook smiled faintly, shifting closer to the bar door that led toward the prison cells.

Rick marched towards the door, pushing different keys into the lock and twisting them to see which one would do the trick. After a few seconds, Rick shoved a small, grey key into the lock and twisted it, successfully unlocking the door.

The leader pushed open the bar door and stepped into the prison block, his eyes running over the open and empty cells. Daryl followed immediately after, his crossbow raised as he walked past the cells, eyeing the empty ones. Daryl didn't waste any time to turn towards the stairwell, that led to the second floor of the block.

Rick looked back at Jungkook and gestured for him to follow. Gguk immediately walked towards the leader, walking up the flight of stairs quietly, his eyes still taking in the large room.

The walls, floor and ceiling, and literally everything else inside this building, was grey, but Jungkook knew that if he'd take one of the cells as his own, he would go out to make it look cosier. The wall on the opposite side of the rows and rows of cells, consisted of large, barred windows, causing light to pool inside the room. And Jungkook was thankful for the natural source of light because it made it seem less like a...like a _prison._

Daryl and Rick looked into a couple of cells, relieved to see that most of them were empty, except for the ones that had dead bodies in them. The sound of something falling captured their attention, causing Jungkook to tense and looked to his left. His knuckles turned white from how hard he gripped the weapon in his palm and his lower lip stung when he, yet again, started to chew on it.

The three males walked towards the noise before stopping at the last two cells. Daryl jumped back when a walker slammed against the bars and shoved its hands through them, trying to grab Daryl. It's head was slightly crushed yet it's mouth still kept moving as if it was trying to chew on air.

Daryl glanced at Rick and Jungkook, sending them both a look. Rick nodded towards the other cell, while Jungkook wondered what the look, Daryl sent, meant.

Just as they predicted, another walker jumped against the metal bars, growling and snarling. Jungkook sighed, looking to his right at the walker right next to him. He grabbed the outstretched arms of the walker and pushed them down, raising his knife to stab it through its skull.

One of the arms broke free and the walker grabbed Jungkook's small wrist, harshly pulling him towards the cells. A yelp left Jungkook's lips and his knife slipped from his fingers as he pressed his free hand against the walker's forehead, to stop the walker from taking a bite out of his wrist.

Jungkook tried to pull his wrist free, but the grip on his hand tightened and the walker kept snapping its teeth inches away from his wrist. Jungkook paled and slowly began to panic, his eyes zeroing in on the brown teeth right next to his tan wrist.

Jungkook felt someone grab him and pull him away from walker, he watched as Daryl pushed the extended arms away before stabbing his knife through the walker's skull.

Jungkook breathed heavily, his eyes wide as he looked down at the, now, dead walker before glancing down at his red wrist.

"Jungkook." Rick hissed quietly, his arms unwrapping from Jungkook as he looked down at the boy with a hard gaze.

Jungkook swallowed thickly, rubbing his wrist as he avoided the leaders eyes. Jungkook shifted on his feet before looking up at Daryl and Rick. The two were sharing a silent look, both seemed to be thinking the exact same thing.

"It...it was an accident." Jungkook muttered quietly, causing Daryl and Rick to turn towards him.

The two didn't say anything, only stared at him with unreadable expressions. Jungkook furrowed his brows, looking closer at the two of them. Daryl's face was blank but Gguk could still see the small ounce of doubt lingering in his eyes.

Rick only stared at Jungkook with a sad frown as he rubbed his forehead. Eventually he sighed and gave Jungkook a small nod, telling him that he believed him. But Jungkook saw, he saw the look in Rick's eyes.

"You think I did it on....on _purpose_?" Jungkook breathed out, his brows shooting up as he took a step back and stared at the two males in horror.

Rick immediately shook his head, taking a step towards Jungkook, only for him to take one back,"No, no, we just..." Rick saw the small action and he stopped walking. He glanced at Daryl, who just kept quiet, before looking back at a glaring Jungkook,"These past couple of months you've become reckless. I've seen how many times a walker nearly bit you, scratched you or how many times you've almost got shot or stabbed by your own people because you _accidentally_ jumped out in front of them when they were trying to kill a walker!"

"So you think I did _that_ on purpose." Jungkook hissed, gesturing towards the dead walker. He felt his heart pounding against his chest as he looked into Rick's eyes. He tensed, when Rick didn't say anything, conforming his words.

Jungkook stared at Rick with wide eyes before glancing at Daryl, who awkwardly shuffled behind Rick. Jungkook looked into Daryl's eyes, only to see the exact same look that he saw in Rick's, he huffed and took a step towards the two.

Jungkook glanced in between them with a frown, he lowered his voice before gritting, "I'm _not_ suicidal."

Jungkook looked at them one more time before turning around and walking away, feeling their eyes burning holes into his back.


	18. Ball-sack

The only sound you could hear was of birds chirping and knives being sharpened. Taehyung sat at the bottom of the stairs, that led to the entrance of a small, wooden hut, deep into a forest. He momentarily looked away from his throwing knives, stoping his sharpening to look up and check if there were any walkers nearby. But instead of seeing growling corpses, he was met with stacks and stacks of chopped off trees.

Taehyung's expression dropped into a somber one once he heard the sound of violent coughing coming from inside the building. Sighing, Taehyung shoved the throwing knives back into his thigh holster and stood up, putting away the handheld sharpener.

Taehyung marched up the remaining steps of the hut and entered the building. His nose immediately scrunched up at the smell of dust and wood, but he still kept walking. His eyes squinted at the dark room, the lack of windows not offering much light. Tae ignored the two chained up walkers, who were tied to a table by their chains, and instead stepped into another room.

Michonne was crouching down in front of a pale blonde, who's eyes immediately landed on Tae when he entered the room. The woman's face was a sickly pale colour and had an unhealthy yellow tint to it. Her eyes were sunken and had dark blue bags supporting her whole sick look. Her body trembled, despite being covered with a thick blanket and a layer of sweat.

"What a sight for sore eyes." Taehyung grinned lazily, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the doorframe.

Andrea, the pale sick girl, smiled faintly before another violent cough left her lips and the smile was washed away.

Taehyung's smile immediately disappeared and he looked towards Michonne in mild concern,"How is she?"

"I'm right _cough_ here."

"She wants us to leave her." Michonne rolled her eyes, standing up and dusting off her clothes. She grabbed their backpacks and began to look over their supplies.

Taehyung looked towards Andrea and raised an eyebrow,"Tell me I'm getting old and I didn't hear that correctly."

Andrea sighed, her head falling back to rest against the wall behind her. She exhaled shakily before meeting Taehyung's piercing gaze,"If you stay here, you're gonna die."

"Don't you think it's a bit early for the '_you need to leave me, save yourselves_' talk?" Taehyung snickered playfully, causing a faint smile to appear on Andrea's face before Michonne smacked him upside the head and gave him a heavy scowl.

"Hey!" Tae whined, rubbing the back of his head. He quickly got distracted when he felt a few tangles in his curls, causing him to comb his fingers through his hair.

A small cough made him pause his action and look up. He immediately noticed Michonne rolling her eyes and the droopy grin on Andrea's face.

"Oh, right," Taehyung nodded, his hand falling to his side, “I know that we'll die if we stay, that's why we need to leave," His words received a breath of relief from Andrea and a sharp glare from Michonne,"_Relax_," Taehyung rolled his eyes, pushing himself off of the door and slowly approaching Andrea,"We're not leaving her here either." He addressed Michonne, causing the glare to disappear as she nodded instead.

"I...I don't think I-"

Taehyung ignored the blonde and crouched down in front of her,"Listen, Andrea, baby, we're not leaving you behind. You're one of us, so shut that pretty mouth of yours and enjoy the ride" Taehyung told the blonde, his face was completely serious, for once, and his deep voice held a tint of authority, that didn't allow you to disagree with him.

Taehyung was a natural flirt, who didn't even notice when being nice turned into something more than just nice. This personality trait mixed with his looks, always led him to listening to girls and guys confessing their eternal love for him. So Taehyung was used to people blushing when he gave them a meaningless nickname or giggling when he opened doors for them and sent them polite grins.

Andrea sighed in defeat, knowing that Taehyung doesn't care about her disagreeing with him, he will always find a way to get what he wants. The guy could be quite determined and persuasive, when he sets his mind to something. Maybe that's why he usually doesn't care much about anything, until it becomes a problem or he really, really wants something.

Taehyung noticed the look on Andrea's face and he decided to do what he does best- use humour to lighten up serious situations,"And functional groups don't leave each other behind, because we all know that when someone is left behind in movies, that person comes back for revenge." Taehyung's smile suddenly disappeared and a faraway look took its place,"And I still want to hang onto my ball-sack."

Andrea pealed her eyes open and looked into his wide eyes blankly. She blinked lazily, glancing at Michonne, who was rubbing her face and muttering about how did she befriend a guy like Taehyung,"When Michonne said I would get used to you,"Andrea started, her voice raspy and low, she lazily turned back to Taehyung, who's eyes had softened after hearing her speak,"She lied. I could never get used to you."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Taehyung shrugged before standing up and placing his hands on his hips. He looked down at Andrea who was still sitting down and leaning against a wall,"Even though I like the position we're in," Taehyung smirked, licking his lips and wiggling his eyebrows,"We need to leave."

Andrea's face scrunched up but she couldn't deny the blush on her cheeks, when she realised what Taehyung was talking about,"Shut the fuck up and help me stand up." She grumbled, extending her arms towards Taehyung and Michonne.

Michonne snorted and took one of her arms, while Tae pouted and grabbed the other, both effortlessly hoisting her up. Michonne turned to look at Taehyung, receiving a small nod in return. Michonne turned to gather their stuff and her pet walkers, while Taehyung took one of Andrea's arms and wrapped it around his neck, helping her walk.

"This is humiliating." Andrea murmured huskily, slowly shuffling forward with Taehyung's help.

The latter snickered in return, his grip on Andrea tightening, when her foot caught onto an empty can of corns and she nearly fell,"Be happy I'm not carrying you princess style."

"I think I would shoot myself instead." Andrea murmured darkly, weakly slamming her hand against Taehyung's firm stomach.

"That was pathetic, I honestly feel bad now." Taehyung spoke with false pity, a spark of mischief igniting in his eyes.

Andrea rolled her eyes, a small scoff leaving her throat,"Shut up and walk, asshole."

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Jungkook chose the cell furthest away from others- the one on the second floor of C block and the furthest one on the right. 

As Jungkook was rummaging through his stuff, debating whether he should unpack it or leave it in the bags, he listened to the sound of his group walking around the prison and quietly murmuring among themselves.

He couldn't deny that his and Rick's argument kept replaying in his mind like a broken phonograph. Jungkook was sad that Rick and Daryl thought that he did it on purpose. He knew where they were coming from- Jungkook indeed has been reckless these past couple of months, but to think that he nearly got bit on purpose is too much. So like a typical teenager, Jungkook decided to stay out of Rick's and Daryl's way for a few days so that they could forget about the incident and move on.

"I was wondering what you did for Rick not to take you with them."

Jungkook glanced away from cleaning his hands with a wet rag and looked up at Maggie, who was standing in the doorway of his cell. His brows furrowed at her words before he glanced down at her attire, only to see her wearing the riot gear.

"What?"

Maggie pressed her lips into a thin line and shuffled into the room, plopping down next to him on the bunk bed,"Rick wants us to go take a look at the tunnels underneath the prison, to make sure we would be safe here tonight."

Jungkook sucked in a deep breath, nodding slightly and smiling bitterly,"And he's not taking me with them."

"You have to trust Rick," Maggie smiled gently, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing slightly,"I'm sure his decision is for a reason."

"Yeah, I know his reason,"Jungkook huffed and rolled his eyes, abruptly standing up and stalking towards the door,"And its completely bullshit."

"Jungkook!" Maggie called worriedly, standing up and following after him as he marched towards Rick, who was talking with Daryl and T-Dog, while picking up guns and looking at the riot gear.

Jungkook stopped by Rick, crossing his arms over his chest and tapping his foot against the ground impatiently,"We need to talk."

Rick glanced at him, raising an eyebrow at the glare he recieved before nodding at Daryl and T-dog to leave them. The two looked between the glaring teenager and the leader before awkwardly walking away.

"What is it?" Rick asked, not seemingly bothered by Jungkook's angry expression.

"Why didn't you tell me that you're going to clear out more of the prison?" Jungkook asked in a hushed tone, not wanting to make a scene but still wanting to get answers that he already knew.

Rick sighed, turning to face Jungkook,"I think you know why, Jungkook." The leader said, rubbing his sweaty forehead before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, the reason is...it's _bullshit_!" Gguk hissed, his cheeks gaining a red tint to them as anger consumed his body.

Rick raised an eyebrow, calmly watching him,"It's for the best. Stay here, watch over the group in case a walker shows up." The leader shrugged, grabbing his gun and shoving it into his holster.

"I want to go with you,"Jungkook shook his head, following Rick's movements with pleading eyes and a small pout.

Rick chewed on the side of his cheek, not looking at him as he spoke,"You're good with a gun, you're good at fighting and surviving, and you're good at killing," He nodded in acknowledgment, glancing at Gguk to see him smiling and watching with wide eyes filled with excitement,"But you're only nineteen."

Jungkook's smile faltered as Rick continued talking, tilting his head to the side in confusion,"So? It's the apocalypse."

"The reason why you're risking your life and being reckless is because you're not supposed to be in the situations I put you in." Rick swallowed thickly, his eyes shining with guilt as he faced Jungkook,"You're only nineteen and I shouldn't have put the pressure of protecting the group on you. I want you to stay here and be a teenager- talk to Beth or Carl, help with the little things like....bringing our stuff in-"

"This is stupid, are you sick?" Jungkook cut him off, looking at him from head to toe like he had lost his mind."Theres no way that just left your mouth."

"I want you to stay here,"Rick rolled his eyes before ruffling Jungkook's hair and placing his hand on his shoulder,"We'll be fine without you down there, so stay here and relax."

And with that, Rick turned around and walked away towards the awaiting group. Jungkook started after the leader with a blank face, hiding the pain in his chest from the leader admitting that they didn't need him and they would be okay without him.

Jungkook watched as Rick, Maggie, Daryl, T-Dog and even Hershel made their way through the metal door and escaped his sight. Jungkook turned around and walked away, going straight to his momentary cell, the feeling of worthlessness and loneliness wrapping around his mind and taking over his thoughts.

_Little did Rick know, his words were the last push Jungkook needed to leave the group._


	19. Deal

Jungkook kept huffing and puffing as he sat on top of one of the metal tables. It had been about twenty minutes since the group left, leaving behind a restless and annoyed Jungkook.

After spending around 4 minutes to grumble and whine inside his cell about Rick leaving him behind and not appreciating him enough, Jungkook decided to take his mind off of the bad thoughts plaguing his mind by bringing everyone's stuff inside the prison. After doing that, he decided to slump down on the metal table and glare at the metal door, that the group left through.

Jungkook's cheeks were puffed out as a heavy scowl rested on his bitten lips. His arms were crossed over his chest, the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, showing off his sweaty skin and the muscle on his arms. Jungkook's glare kept faltering once in a while, only for him to shake his head and glare even harder. He wanted it to be the first thing Rick sees after walking through that door.

When he heard the sound of frantic footsteps approaching, Jungkook's first thought was that Rick would run through that door and beg him for forgiveness, before inviting him to come with them because they couldn't do it without him.

So he huffed again and glared at the door, sitting up straighter as he patiently waited for the group to run through the door. But instead of seeing an apologetic leader, that was ready to drop down to his knees and take his words back, Jungkook's own knees were ready to buckle underneath him.

The glare on his face faltered and a soft gasp stumbled out of his parted lips. Jungkook's face turned pale and his eyes grew wide, everything suddenly seemed to slow down and he was watching the group run in slow motion.

On top of a metal table lied an unconscious Hershel. His right leg was missing from the knee down, the leg seemed to be cut off by something sharp, considering that the cut was smooth. Jungkook had the perfect opportunity to see the bone through the cut, and the veins pulse and release large amounts of blood. The blood was dripping down the metal table, staining it red and leaving behind puddles of blood on the ground.

Jungkook gagged at the sigh, his hand flying up to cover his mouth as his eyes stayed glued on Hershel's cut off leg. He stared after Rick, Glenn and Maggie as they shouted something animatedly, rolling Hershel into the C block and into the arms of a pale Carol and a sobbing Beth.

A hand latched onto his wrist, harshly pulling him out of his shocked daze and off of the metal table. Jungkook stumbled forward, the same hand steadying him before a gun was pushed into his open palms and he was left facing the metal door yet again. This time, instead of a fierce, angry glare, his eyes were wide with terror and shock.

"_Jungkook_!"

The harsh whisper caused Jungkook to snap out of it completely. The sound of frantic yells, heart wrenching sobs and hesitant footsteps filled his ears as if a dam had been broken.

"Jungkook!"

The said boy sucked In a sharp breath, his head snapping towards Daryl, who's jaw was clenched and crossbow was raised towards the metal door. The two made brief eye contact, Daryl giving him a firm nod before turning away. The teenager gripped the gun in his palms tightly and raised it up, aiming towards the familiar sound of footsteps.

Jungkook thought that he would be met with the sight of a small walker horde stumbling through the door. But he was yet again surprised. The footsteps belonged to a group of six men clad in grey jumpsuits, their auras and expressions differing from each other drastically.

The group of unfamiliar males cautiously made their way inside the walls of the C block. They glanced at the direction Hershel was taken before assessing Jungkook and turning to look at Daryl,

"Take another step," Jungkook spoke up, cocking his gun, causing the click to bounce off of the walls and echo in the room,"And I'll shoot you right between your eyes." He seethed, his voice coming out steady with a hint of growl in it.

Daryl spared him a small glance, a glimmer of surprise in his eyes before he face the, what Jungkook guessed were, prisoners.

"Cell block C," A Male only a few inches taller than Jungkook, with a small beard on his chin and a low ponytail, stated. He wore the bottom half of the jumpsuit and a white tank top that was stained with sweat and remains of food,"Cell 4, that's mine, Gringo. Let me in."

_What the hell is a gringo_? Jungkook thought, his eyebrows scrunching together as confusion washed over him.

"Today's your lucky day, fellas,"Daryl stated with a hint of snarl in his voice, his crossbow still not wavering as the prisoners kept stepping forward,"You've been pardoned by the state of Georgia. You're free to go."

"What you got going on in there?" The same Male, Tomas, asked. Jungkook quickly grew tense and wary in the guy's presence, a shiver running down his spine at the malicious glaze covering his eyes.

"That's none of your business." Jungkook gritted, the piercing glare on his face aimed at Tomas.

He glared in return before grabbing his gun and pulling it out,"Dont be telling me what's my business." Daryl and Jungkook immediately retaliated by raising their own weapons higher.

"Chill, man. The dude's leg is messed up." One of the other guys stepped forward, speaking calmly and with a hint of concern. The guy, Big tiny, had chocolate coloured skin and was huge- towering over everyone in the room. His mass didn't ease Jungkook's worries either, he knew if they got in a brawl, the guy would knock him out with a single punch,"Besides we're free now. Why are we still in here?"

"The man's gotta point." Daryl spoke lowly, his hands gripping the crossbow tightly as his eyes stayed glued on Tomas.

Oscar, another one of the prisoners, a dark skinned male, yet smaller than the buff guy next to him, stepped forward,"Yeah, and I gotta check on my old lady."His expression was calm with no hints of hostility in it.

"A group of civilians, breaking into a prison you got no business in," Tomas spoke up, his raised voice echoing through the walls of the prisons,"Got me thinking there ain't a place for us to go."

Jungkook shifted on his feet, his knuckles turning white from how hard he was holding the gun. He side glanced at Daryl after hearing him scoff under his breath,"How about you find out."

"Maybe we'll just be leaving." Axel, a prisoner, who was smaller than Jungkook and not as muscular as him, tried to defuse the situation. The guy had grimy, blond hair that reached his jaw and a small moustache resting bellow his nose.

Tomas snapped his head towards Axel,"Hey! We're not leaving!"

"You're not coming here either!"

Jungkook twitched in surprise as T-Dog jumped out of nowhere, stalking towards the prisoners with a furious look on his face.

Tomas immediately took the end of his weapon away from Jungkook and shoved it in T-Dog's direction,"It is my house, my rules. I go where I damn please!" 

A bitter chuckle left Jungkook's throat, catching everyones attention,"Your house?" He mocked, his lips parting to form a snarl,"We took this prison, it's ours now. But if you want it so badly, feel free to try and take it." Jungkook hissed lowly, his voice perfectly hearable in the deadly silent room.

"Oh, we will, how about I start with you." The Male growled, recklessly pointing the gun in Jungkook's direction, causing Daryl and T-dog to tense beside him.

"Maybe we should leave."

"Listen to your friend, at least he has some common sense."

"We're not leaving! This is our prison!"

"Y'all were trapped in the cafeteria, ain't no way this belongs to you."

"We were here first!"

"Then how 'bout y'all turn around and go back to where you came from."

"How about you shut your mouth, gringo!"

"There ain't nothing for you here, why don't you go back to your sandbox!"

"Hey, hey, hey, everyone relax," Jungkook released a breath of relief when he heard Rick approach and defuse the situation immediately. He stepped aside, closer to Daryl, as Rick stepped forward to face the group of prisoners,"Theres no need for this."

"How many of you in there?" Tomas scowled, peering over Rick's shoulder to try and catch a glimpse of the inside of the C Block.

Rick stepped forward, blocking his sigh,"Too many for you to handle."

Jungkook watched the guy with squinted eyes, waiting for any jerky movements that indicated that he would attack.

"You guys rob a bank or something?",The male licked his lips, his wide eyes dancing from a person to a person. Jungkook noted the way he was sweating and the way his hand shook as he held the gun, clearly inexperienced,"Why don't you take him to a hospital?"

Jungkook's lips parted and his brows shot up. He lowered his gun ever so slightly, turning to look at Daryl and Rick. The latter stared at the prisoners with a grim look, pressing his tongue against his cheek and allowing a tense silence to grow and swallow up the room.

"How long have you been in that cafeteria?"

Axel shifted on his feet, crossing his arms over his chest, "Going on like 10 months."

"A fight broke out, never seen anything like it." Big tiny spoke up, his eyes turned hazy, remembering what happened.

Axel nodded, his southern accent coming out as he spoke,"Attica in speed, man."

"Ever heard about dudes going cannibal?" The smallest of the prisoners, Andrew, asked with furrowed brows, "Dying, coming back to life? Crazy."

"One guard looked out for us, locked us up in the cafeteria." Tomas informed the group, his lips forming into a scowl as he explained how they got locked up in the cafeteria, "Told us to sit tight, threw me this piece and said he'd be right back." He nodded at the gun without taking it off of Rick, who listened carefully.

"Yeah, and that was 292 days ago."

"94 according to my calcula-"

"_Shut up_!" Tomas snapped, harshly shutting up both, Axel and Oscar. Jungkook chewed on his lip anxiously, his eyes not straying from Tomas since he looked quite unstable and spontaneous.

"We were thinking that the army or the national guard should be showing up any day now." Jungkook sucked on his lips, pity visible on his face after hearing the hope in Oscar's voice.

"There is no army." Rick murmured, his tone flat and his lips pressed together in a thin line. A quick '_What do you mean_' from Tomas made him continue talking, "There's no government, no hospitals, no police. It's all gone."

After hearing Rick's words, the first thing Jungkook saw on the prisoners was the hint of horror mixed with a lot of denial. Jungkook could only hope that they wouldn't be overwhelmed with emotion and wouldn't act out based on them. Or he hoped that the lack of government and police wasn't a sign that they could do whatever they wanted.

"For real?" Axel asked in a timid voice, the terror and dread distinct in his words.

"Serious."

The fragile silence was yet again shattered by big tiny's question, "What about my mom's?"

"My kids? And my old lady?" Oscar gasped, rubbing a hand over his shaved head. He chewed on his bottom lip, thinking deeply before snapping his head back towards the group,"Yo, you got a cellphone or something that we can call our families?"

"You just don't get it do you?" Daryl snapped, taking a step towards the prisoners and shoving his crossbow in their direction harshly.

"No phones, no computers." Jungkook spoke up, lowering his gun slightly, yet still being tense and cautious around the potential danger, "As far as we can see, at least half of the population has been wiped out." He stated calmly, watching their reactions and body movements, in case any of them lost it after hearing this information. Jungkook shrugged and muttered, "Probably more."

"Ain't no way." Tomas gritted, trying to mask his shock and panic with anger and hostility.

Rick nodded towards the metal door to his left, the door that lead out of the main building and into the yard, "See for yourself."

Under watchful eyes, the group of prisoners were lead out of the prison block. Jungkook followed after them, keeping his eyes focused on Tomas, while holding his gun in his hand, ready to raise it and shoot if necessary. 

Jungkook jumped down the metal stairs and pushed past the creaky gate, walking after Rick and in front of Daryl, the two keeping him caged between their bodies.

He watched the prisoners look around the courtyard, their eyes momentarily stopping at the dead bodies and the few walkers banging against the fences. Jungkook rolled up the sleeves of his grey shirt, after noticing them falling, and ran a hand through his greasy, brown locks. The length of the hair was getting quite long and Jungkook knew he needed to get a haircut.

The scorching sun blared down on his exposed skin, causing a thin layer of sweat to appear on his skin, yet the chilly breeze ran over Jungkook's exposed forearms and squeezed in behind his loose shirt, running over his skin and cooling him down.

Jungkook really didn't care what the prisoners had to say, nor did he care enough to answer their questions about the walkers and how it all happened. He knew that Rick wouldn't let his family sleep in the same prison, that Tomas roamed in, so they wouldn't stay for long. And if the prisoners did stay at the prison, Jungkook knew that they wouldn't bump into each other again, not after he leaves the group.

So Jungkook just stood off to the side, his expression cold and serious, making his whole demeanour scream unapproachable. He crossed his arms over his chest, his muscles flexing under the movement, and his eyes squinted into a glare, directed towards a quiet Tomas.

Jungkook watched Tomas carefully, assessing him from head to toe, wondering when would be the time when he snapped and tried to take over the prison. It was obvious that Tomas' ego and pride got in the way of his thinking, clouding his judgment and making him not see how dangerous and superior Rick's group were compared to them.

"Where'd you come from?" Tomas suddenly turned around, directing the question towards Rick.

Rick sighed, slowly turning his head towards Tomas,"Atlanta."

"Where you headed?" He asked again, stepping closer and closer to the leader, causing Jungkook to straighten out and grow more and more tense with each step.

"For now, nowhere." Rick scoffed out, turning his body to fully face the prisoner.

Tomas nodded slowly, looking around the area before his eyes stopped at a small pond near the fences, "I guess you could take that area, down there, near the water. Should be comfortable." He pointed towards it.

Rick sent him a bitter smile, nodding along, "We're using that field for crops."

"We'll help you move your gear out."

"That won't be necessary. We took out these walkers, this prison is ours."

"Slow down, cowboy." Tomas hissed, raising his hand as if to stop Rick from speaking.

Jungkook scoffed and rolled his eyes, his nails digging in his biceps to stop himself from stepping forward and saying something snarky. Or just stepping forward and pummelling the guy's face into the ground.

"You snatched the locks off of our doors." Andrew jumped in, walking forward to stand next to Tomas.

Rick's lips twitched up in amusement after hearing Andrew's words and seeing the seriousness on his face,"We'll give you new locks, if that's how you want."

"This is our prison." Tomas grunted, gesturing around the courtyard filled with dead walkers, that Jungkook's group killed, "We were here first."

Jungkook snorted with an eye roll, annoyance showing on his face as he stepped closer, "Locked in a cafeteria?" After not receiving a verbal answer, Jungkook smiled tauntingly, "We took it. Set you free." Tomas and Andrew glared at him, while he mocked them with intimidating stares and taunting smiles, "Its ours."

"We're moving back into our prison block." Tomas hissed in return, his dark eyes jumping from Rick to Jungkook, glaring at them both with a murderous look.

"You'll have to get your own."

"It is mine. I still have personal artefacts in there! That's about as mine as it gets!" The situation suddenly took a turn as Tomas pulled out his gun, flinging and shoving the tip in every direction.

Jungkook, along with T-dog and Daryl, quickly raised their guns and jumped forward, surrounding their leader. Jungkook clenched his jaw, dark strands of hair falling into his face, causing shadows to latch onto his features and making his glare appear deadlier and more intimidating.

"_Woah, woah, woah_." Tension replaced the controlled atmosphere, causing Axel, the blond with the moustache, jump forward and raise his hands in surrender."Maybe lets try to make this work out so everyone wins."

"I don't see that happening."

"Neither do I."

"I ain't going back into that cafeteria for one more minute." Tomas muttered, a heavy scowl resting on his face as he and Rick kept up the eye contact.

"You don't have a choice, either you leave or we shoot you on the spot." Jungkook snarled, his nose scrunching up in distaste towards Tomas.

"_Jungkook_." Rick hissed out a low warning, making the said boy huff and roll his eyes.

Axel looked in between the two groups, still trying to find a compromise that doesn't end with someone loosing their life, "There are other cell blocks."

"You could leave," Daryl pipped in, his voice gruff and deep, while his face remained stone cold and hostile, "Try your luck out on the road." He nodded towards the woods outside the fences.

Jungkook nodded at Daryl's words, waiting for their answer after hearing no reply. His eyes jumped from a member to a member, momentarily pausing on Tomas, who seemed to be assessing each group member.

"If these four pussies can do all this," Jungkook's eyes stayed glued on Tomas as the man spoke, "The least we can do is take out another cell block."

"With what?" Big tiny raised his brow, crossing his beefy arms across his large chest.

Tomas seemed to posses a ghost of a smirk as he turned to look at Rick, "Atlanta here will spot us some real weapons. Won't you, boss?"

Rick bit the side of his cheek, shifting on his feet as he thought for a moment before speaking, "How stocked is that cafeteria? It must have plenty of food. Six guys lasting almost a year?"

"It sure don't look like anybody's been starving." Daryl grumbled, using his crossbow to gesture towards the prisoners soft bellies and the slight chub on their cheeks.

"There's only a little left."

"We'll take half." Rick shrugged off Tomas' comment, knowing that they shouldn't trust the guy's empty words, "In exchange, we'll help clear out a cell block."

"Didn't you hear him? There's only a little left!" Andrew, the smallest guy among them, snapped. His higher pitched voice mixed with his accent, caused Jungkook's nose to scrunch up and made him nearly go deaf.

Jungkook huffed, one hand releasing his gun to run his sore ears,"Bet you got more food than you got choices." He grumbled, receiving a small glare from Tomas.

"You play, we'll pay." Rick nodded, licking his lips and pressing his tongue against his cheek,"We'll clear out a block for you, then you keep to it."

After a few seconds of thinking and looking between all the members of Rick's group, Tomas nodded,"All right."

"Alright, lets be clear." Rick nodded along with him before his face turned dark and menacing, and he took a threatening step forward, "If we see you out here, anywhere near our people," Rick took another step forward, invading Tomas' personal space and getting in his face, "If I as much as even catch a whiff of your scent," Jungkook, along with the rest, stepped forward along with the leader to push back the other prisoners, allowing Rick to threaten Tomas. Rick leaned even closer to Tomas, so close that their faces were inches apart and they were having direct direct eye contact, "_I will kill you_."

Jungkook stared at the side of Tomas' face, his heart pounding with adrenaline, yet his face remained blank. He held his breath, not even daring to shift on his feet and release the ache in his legs after the heavy tension settled on their shoulders.

The anticipation ended and Jungkook sucked in a deep breath after hearing Tomas utter a single word,

"_Deal_."


	20. Don’t look back

"I'm coming with you."

That was the first thing Rick heard when he came back to the C block, two bags of rice in both hands. Taking in the amount of food the group brought inside the block, you could tell that either the group of prisoners didn't realise the value of food or they were lying about the amount.

Rick released a deep breath through his nose, walking past Jungkook to put down the bags down on one of the metal tables. Jungkook followed after him with wide bunny eyes, silently pleading and trying to convince Rick to let him go wi-

"No."

Jungkook's jaw fell open in shock and his nose scrunched up in offence,"Why the hell not?"

"Jungkook." Rick warned, his brows knitting together in annoyance and distress.

Jungkook scowled, tilting his head to the side and watching the leader as he leaned against the metal table and rubbed his forehead,"I just...I don't understand."

"You're reckless." Rick stated bluntly, getting tired of Jungkook pestering him all the time about going with them,"When it was just the dead after us, I could look out for you, make sure you didn't die. But now...now the living's after us too." Rick faced a confused and startled Jungkook, and placed his hands on his hips,"And I can't take the risk."

"But...I-"

"You're skilled, but your skill means nothing when you're practically jumping at any chance to get bitten." Rick continued, his face hard and blank as he stared down at Jungkook. The latter looked up at Rick with wide eyes and parted lips, taking a small step back as if punched in the gut,"I don't want to always look after you, just to make sure one of the prisoners didn't stab you in the back or a walker didn't show up and bite you."

Jungkook's throat went dry and his shoulders slumped, he swallowed thickly, clenching his trembling palms shut. He felt like a burden, Rick made him realise that his presence didn't bring the group any good. Was Jungkook really so incapable of looking after himself, that Rick had to look out for him? Was he really such a burden that his presence would only distract Rick and put the group in danger?

"I can...I can take care of myself." Jungkook swallowed down the lump in his throat, lifting his gaze off of the floor.

The leader sighed and shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose,"I didn't say th-"

"Then what the hell did you say!?" Jungkook snapped, causing a few head to turn their way. The group noticed the tension between the two, causing them to awkwardly shuffle away to avoid the conflict. Rick released an unnecessary breath of air before Jungkook's angered expression crumbled and his voice came out in the form of a trembling whisper,"That I'm a burden?"

"No,"Rick immediately stated, yet despite the firm _'no_', Rick's previous words were what Jungkook chose to focus on.

Truthfully, Jungkook wanted Rick to snap and tell him that the group didn't need him and he should leave, because he knew it would make it easier for him to leave the group. In result of his desire of pain, Jungkook pushed away the 'no' and desperately wrapped himself in a blanket of self hatred.

"Listen, Jungkook, I need you to stay here." Rick stepped closer to the brown haired boy, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. Jungkook scowled and bit the side of his cheek, looking away from Rick,"The prisoners are dangerous and I need to focus on their every move. I can't risk your life by taking you with me, and I know Daryl and T-dog won't need me looking out for them, they can handle themselves."

"And me?" Jungkook whispered, his voice cold and emotionless as he stared past Rick's shoulder at the grey concrete wall of the prison.

Rick shifted on his feet, removing his hand,"You need....you need someone to look out for you. So I need you to stay here."He expected Jungkook to say something, but the boy only stared at the wall blankly, allowing himself to sink deeper and deeper into his own thoughts.

Rick nodded at Jungkook's silence, his eyes momentarily fleeting over his form before he turned around and reluctantly walked away.

Jungkook swallowed down the lump in his throat, turning around and marching towards his cell. He ignored the look of concern Carol shot his way and forced himself to believe it was a look of hatred. He didn't want to believe that the group actually cared about him, so Jungkook forced himself to think that they wanted him gone, in order to feel better about leaving them in a time of need.

Instead of going off to his cell, Jungkook caught a sight of a metal door at the end of the cell block. Shrugging, Jungkook walked towards the door, passing by the cell Hershel was staying in, and sparing a small glance towards a crying Maggie and a worried Glenn.

Jungkook chewed on his bottom lip, forcing his eyes away from the scene in front of him. He continued walking until he stopped in front of the metal door. Jungkook grabbed the handle and carelessly pulled the door open.

"What are you doing?"

Jungkook jumped in alarm, his head flying back to look down at Carl, who's face was scrunched up in confusion. Jungkook released a groan and placed his hand on his chest, trying to calm his erratic heartbeat,"You scared the fu..._fudge_ out of me."

Carl gave him a blank look before rolling his eyes and looking at the metal door,"I'm coming with you."

"Fuc- I mean, fudge no you're not." Jungkook scoffed, reaching out to awkwardly push Carl away, only for Carl to push his arm away and walk around him,"Hey, you can't come with me, your mom's gonna kill me."

"She's gonna kill you, if she find out you allowed me to go here by myself." Carl shrugged, walking through the door and entering a small hallway.

The hallway was narrow and not that long, the windows were too dirty and small for the light to enter properly, making the hallway dim. Carl began to march down the hall with confidence, gripping his gun between his chubby fingers.

"Hey, if you're gonna come with me,"Jungkook quickly caught up to him, placing his hand in front of Carl and pushing him behind himself,"You're staying behind me."

Carl frowned and rolled his eyes, pushing Jungkook forward,"Then move, we don't have much time."

"_God_ I hate children." Jungkook grumbled under his breath, pulling his knife out of its holder and quietly making his way down the hall.

"You're a child."

Jungkook sucked in a deep breath and shut his eyes in annoyance,"_Don't lose your shit, don't beat him up. He's only a child, Gguk, an annoying, little twat_."

Carl perked up, staring up at him in wonder and curiosity,"What language is that? Chinese?"

Jungkook paused, realising that he had unknowingly slipped and began speaking Korean. Jungkook blinked and looked down into Carl's puppy eyes,"It's Korean, I'm from Korea."

Carl frowned and nodded, watching as Jungkook stopped in front of a metal door and slowly pushed it open,"Then why are you here and not in Korea?"

Jungkook shushed him and slowly entered what looked like a nurses office. The room was white, with a single bed pushed against the wall, and a curtain around it. A desk was placed on the opposite side of the door and white cabinets, that looked like they haven't been touched, covered one of the walls of the office.

Jungkook quickly scrambled towards the cabinets, pulling them open, only for his eyes to widen when he saw the amount of medicine in them. Jungkook looked around, noticing a bag laying on top of the desk, the bag was pulled open and filled with a few containers of medicine, looking as if someone had tried to fill it.

"Carl, pass the bag." Jungkook ordered the boy, gesturing towards the black bag. Carl nodded and scrambled to grab the bag before giving it to Jungkook.

Jungkook pulled the bag open wider and grabbed what Hershel needed for his cut off leg. Of course Jungkook had no idea what the stuff was called but he saw people use it in movies to heal stab or gun wounds.

Jungkook kept shoving the medicine into the bag until it was stuffed full to the brim and could barely shut.

"Kook!"

Jungkook snapped his head towards Carl's direction, but before he could comprehend the wide eyed expression on his face, a growling body slamming into him and slammed him into the cabinets. Jungkook yelped in alarm, the black bag falling to the ground with a rattle, while the handles of the cabinets dug into his back.

A walker jumped onto him, it's teeth snapping and it's yellow eyes jumping in all directions, yet still remaining hazy and unfocused. Jungkook pressed his hand against the walker's throat, keeping its mouth away from his skin as he slithered his other hand down to his gun.

Jungkook pulled out the gun, only to have another walker jump on the first walker and press against it. Jungkook's hand trembled and nearly gave out from the weight of holding two walkers away from him. He grunted as he pushed against the walkers with both hands, one still holding the gun, to keep them away.

Looking past the snapping teeth and yellowish eyes, Jungkook caught a sight of Carl facing a walker. His gun was raised and aimed as the walker stumbled towards him.

The walker pressing against Jungkook, raised its bloody hands to try and grab him by his face or arms and pull him towards its mouth. An animalistic growl bubbled up inside of Jungkook's throat before he pushed his left hand up towards the walkers head. He gripped the gun in his hand tighter and as the walker snapped its jaws open, Jungkook shoved the tip of the gun into its mouth.

Jungkook didn't think twice before turning his head away and pressing the trigger. The bullet pierced the skull of the first walker and shot through its scalp, only to fly and lodge into the skull of the walker right behind it.

Blood spattered on the side of Jungkook's face and the weight of both walkers left Jungkook as the lifeless bodies fell to the ground. The bunny boy huffed and ran a hand through his tangled locks, pealing his eyes open to look down at Carl, who had killed one of the walkers.

Carl looked back at him and his lips parted as he stared at Jungkook's bloody face. The latter rolled his eyes, bending down to grab a hold of the bag of medicine and thrusting it up in Carl's direction.

"Take this to Hershel."

Carl nodded, pursuing his lips before he grabbed the bag and scurried away. Jungkook watched him leave before turning around to face the cabinets, and grabbing a few bottles of medicine and white gauze for himself.

He shoved the stuff in his pockets before turning around and walking away. Jungkook's stuff was already packed and ready to go, all he had to do was get a can or two of food.

After Jungkook retrieved his bag and used the group's surprise, from Carl bringing back a bag of medicine, to his advantage, Jungkook grabbed a can of beans and a can of tomato soup, from the metal table, and shoved them into his backpack.

Jungkook ignored the way Lori started to pester Carl for not being careful before the boy told her '_to get off his back_'. Jungkook ignored the awkward silence in the air and the sound of Carl stomping away from the group, and ,instead, turned around to sneak out of the main building.

The fiery ball of red shone down on Jungkook and a soft breeze played with his locks as he quickly jogged down the creaky, metal steps. He ran over to the fence gate, pulling it open to enter the field. He didn't think twice before sprinting across the field towards the gate that led towards the outer gate of the prison.

When Jungkook reached the main gate, the sound of walkers growling and banging against the fence reached his ears. Jungkook bit his lip and shut his eyes, grabbing a hold of the fence and leaning against it to steady his heavy breathing. His heart pounded in his ears as the feeling of guilt rose inside his throat like a glob of bile.

With a loud huff and a grumble, Jungkook ignored the walker presence and threw his backpack over the fence, aiming it towards the corner of the fence so it would be harder to see.

Jungkook knew that he couldn't leave Hershel in a time of need without a single goodbye. So he turned around and sprinted back towards the prison, making sure to shut the gate behind him as he entered the courtyard.

"_Jungkook_!"

Jungkook froze, his mind filling with unbelievable excuses of what he was doing out in the courtyard or why he threw the backpack over the fence.

He shakily released his hold on the metal fence and turned to face a furious Lori, who was marching towards him,"I can exp-"

"How dare you put my son in danger!" Lori screamed, her face going red as she shoved a finger in Jungkook's chest.

The boy's face scrunched up in confusion before he took a step back and rubbed his chest,"_Huh_?"

"How dare you take Carl with you to get the medicine? You can't even take care of yourself without Rick constantly checking up on you, yet you still take Carl with you and risk his life!" Lori screamed, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she released all her pent up frustration on the poor boy.

Jungkook's lips parted to release a shaky breath as he took a step back, blinking rapidly to keep tears from forming in his eyes. He stared into the furious eyes of Lori, his chest squeezing tightly at the raw anger directed towards him.

"Lo-"

"Let me _speak_!" Lori snapped, clenching her jaw as she stepped closer to Jungkook, invading his personal space,"Learn to look out for yourself before you risk a child's life!" Lori hissed in Jungkook's face.

"I...I did it for Hershel." Jungkook stuttered quietly, trying to speak despite his voice shaking and lower lip wobbling. He took a step back to create some space between them.

Lori scoffed and shook her head, running a hand through her hair before directing another glare towards Jungkook,"You're a horrible influence on my son, I don't want you anywhere near him."

Jungkook swallowed thickly, watching with wide, terrified eyes as Lori sneered and leaned even closer,"I don't want you to talk or come anywhere near Carl, much less look at him. Do you understand?"

Jungkook's chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to keep himself from bursting into tears. He bit down on his tongue, nearly bitting it off.

"Do you understand me, Jungkook?" Lori hissed, her lips pursued into a straight line and her eyes squinted into a threatening glare.

Jungkook swallowed down the lump in his throat,"Ye...yes." The word came out in a form of a trembling murmur.

Lori huffed and glared at him one last time before turning around and marching away, stomping her feet. Jungkook stared at her retreating back, watching as she entered the prison and shut the door behind herself.

As soon as the door shut, Jungkook's emotionless face crumbled into a look of pain and sadness. He stumbled back into the fence and hunched over, placing his shaking hands on his knees. He squeezed his eyes shut, gripping his knees to keep himself from crumbling to the ground and bursting into heartbroken sobs.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine," Jungkook kept repeating the words in broken Korean, focusing on them instead of the heavy feeling in his chest or his trembling bottom lip.

After a few minutes of murmuring to himself and trying to calm himself down, Jungkook pealed his red rimmed eyes open and pushed off of the metal fence. He released a shaky breath, his shoulders slouching and his gaze attaching onto the ground as he dragged himself towards the prison.

Jungkook chewed on his bottom lip, pulling open the prison door to enter the building. He rubbed his eyes to keep away the tears as he dragged his feet through the prison, towards Hershel's cell. Jungkook ignored the quiet murmuring between Carol and Lori as he walked past them. In his mind, they were talking about him, saying how horrible he was and that he needed to leave the group.

Jungkook sucked in a deep breath and took a few more steps before he paused in the doorframe of Hershel's cell.

An unconscious Hershel was laying on the bottom bunk, his leg was bandaged, yet his skin was pale and sweaty, and his breathing was sharp and shallow. Maggie was kneeling next to the bunk bed, her hands grasping Hershel's limp one and her forehead was pressed against the mattress. Glenn stood behind her, leaning against the wall and watching over her.

"Hi." Jungkook whispered quietly, catching the attention of Glenn and Maggie.

Maggie slowly lifted her head, a timid smile appearing on her blotched face before she rubbed away the tears on her cheeks,"Hey."

"How is he?" Jungkook asked, fiddling with his jacket and shifting on his feet awkwardly.

"He's...he's stable," Maggie murmured, glancing down at Hershel, only for a new layer of tears to coat her eyes. She quickly blinked them away and looked back at Jungkook,"You can come in, if you want."

"I actually..."Jungkook bit the side of his cheek, glancing between a confused Glenn, a curious Maggie and an unconscious Hershel,"I don't want to...I don't want to interrupt or anything. But I wanted to know if I can....you know." Jungkook murmured, nodding towards Hershel and trying to tell them. But by the confusion on their faces, they didn't understand,"Can I speak with him? _Alone_?"

Maggie's smile faltered before she nodded and began to get up, only for Glenn to place his hand on her shoulder and stop her,"I don't think it's a good idea."

"Glenn." Maggie whispered warningly, yet her gaze didn't hold much anger or fierceness. It was as if her fire was slowly burning out.

Jungkook's brows furrowed and he stopped shuffling on his feet, looking at Glenn instead. The latter smiled faintly before murmuring quietly,"Maggie actually wanted to spend some alone time with him right now. How about you come later?"

"Later?" Jungkook echoed, making Glenn nod and Maggie frown. Jungkook forced a smile on his face before he nodded,"Yea...yeah, later sounds good. I'll see you later."

"I'll see you later." Maggie nodded, smiling warmly at him before turning her attention back on Hershel.

Jungkook stared at the three for a few more seconds, drinking them in and memorising them as if it was the last time he saw them. And maybe it was.

Jungkook turned around and walked away, ignoring the way his chest squeezed and his throat clogged up with each step he took.

Jungkook walked past all the cells and entered the main room, approaching the door to the outside. He walked up the metal steps and grabbed the metal door, about to slid it open.

"Hey, where you heading?"

Jungkook sighed and closed his eyes in annoyance before looking over his shoulder at Carol,"I saw a few walkers at the fence, I wanted to take them out."

Carol hesitantly nodded, smiling weakly,"Make sure to come back at sundown, I'm sure the rest are going to be back by then and we can all have dinner."

Jungkook's face dropped before he quickly fixed it with a smile,"Dinner sounds...dinner sounds good."

Carol hummed with a gentle smile,"Be careful out there, and if you start getting cold, come inside." She advised, making Jungkook's eyes glaze over with unshed tears and his smile began to wobble.

"Okay." Jungkook murmured, thankful for the horrible lighting because it didn't allow Carol to see the state he was in.

Carol nodded and turned around, walking in the direction of Hershel's cell. While Jungkook turned around and walked out of the main building. He walked through the courtyard and sprinted across the yard, breathing heavily as he reached the main gate to the prison.

Jungkook slid open the gate, making sure to shut it firmly behind him, so that no walker could get in and injure the group. He walked over to his backpack and grabbed it, swinging it over his shoulders. Jungkook walked through the path between the fences, towards the slit in the fence from the time they got here.

Once Jungkook reached the opening, he looked around the area to make sure no walker was present. After seeing no one, Jungkook began to untied the red rope, that kept the hole shut. He slipped thought the hole, careful not to cut on the rigged edges, before quickly tying the hole behind himself.

Jungkook stared at the fence for a few seconds before his eyes lifted and he looked at the concrete prison. Jungkook stared at the large building, imprinting it into his memory just as he did with every member of the group.

Jungkook knew he would miss them, he would miss his hunts with Daryl and he would miss Rick's sharp gaze as he looked out for him. He would miss the way Carol would always pamper him or the way he and Glenn always playfully bickered. Jungkook would miss the way Maggie would constantly tease and taunt him until he was glaring and pouting back at her.

_Yeah, I will miss them_, Jungkook murmured in his mind, the thought invading itself between all the bad memories and settling on top of them, as if to squish them down, _but I have to go out there and learn how to take care of myself_.

When he knew he was ready, Jungkook slowly turned around and faced the forest surrounding the prison. Jungkook held his breath, grabbing the straps of his bag as he slowly walked through the tall grass towards the woods.

Jungkook's eyes began to sting with unshed tears and his lower lip began to wobble, causing him to breathe heavier. His fists clenched around the bag straps and his legs shook slightly as he took quicker steps to reach the forest.

Jungkook paused at the edge of the woods, the forest looked almost unrecognisable when he was staring at it by himself. It felt so much more different when he had no where to return to, if things went south.

Another shaky breath left Jungkook's lips as he shuffled in his spot, momentarily looking down at his shoes."Just go, they don't need you, they'll be alright." Jungkook whispered to himself, his face hardening as Lori's and Rick's words floated around his mind, watching, as he drowned in his own thoughts and insecurities.

Jungkook marched into the forest, not even looking back as he walked away from the prison and the group.


	21. Big boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️ BE CAREFUL AS YOU READ THIS CHAPTER

_The sound of branches scraping against the window filled the eerie silent air. The wind howled behind the glass, begging to be let in and cause chaos inside the room. The moonlight shone through the window of the house, caressing the sleeping face of an 7 year old boy._

_The boy's lips were parted to release soft snores and his eyes fluttered from time to time as he dreamt. A blanket was wrapped tightly around his tiny body, the only thing visible being a head full of curly black hair and a chubby face._

_The door to the boy's room creaked open and a body slipped through the narrow crack, shutting the door quietly behind. The person released a breath of relief before smiling and turning around to make his way over to the younger boy._

_The person stopped at the edge of the boy's bed and stared down at his sleeping face. He pressed his lips into a tight line before crouching down and caressing the child's sleeping face._

_"Tae," The person shook Taehyung, causing his nose to scrunch up and a tiny whine to escape his plump lips._

_"TaeTae, wake up."_

_"No, go sleep, bubba." Tae whined, pushing his brother's hand away before rolling onto his belly and pushing his face into the pillow._

_His brother sighed and rolled his eyes, grabbing the duvet and pulling it back. Tae whined when the cold air touched his exposed feet, the bunny onesie he was wearing keeping the rest of him warm._

_Tae's eyes fluttered open, revealing two pools of pitch black that blended in with the darkness of the night. His lips tilted down into a pout before he slowly sat up, rubbing his swollen eyes._

_"What's wrong?" He asked through a yawn, looking up at his blank faced brother._

_Tae's head tilted to the side in confusion when his brother didn't answer him and only stared at him with an unreadable expression, "Jiwoon?"_

_Jiwoon snapped out of his thoughts and smiled, revealing a box shaped smile and two dimples on the side of his cheeks,"I...I need your help, TaeTae."_

_Taehyung perked up, staring at him with wide eyes filled with excitement,"I can help!"_

_Jiwoon quickly shushed him, looking back at the door nervously before biting his lip and climbing onto Taehyung's bed,"Shhh, it's a secret, okay?"_

_"A secret?" Tae whispered in confusion, tucking his knees up to his chest as his brother sat in front of him._

_"Yeah,"Jiwoon nodded, running a hand through his hair and shifting on the bed,"So you can't tell mommy and daddy, okay?"_

_Tae frowned, leaning back and shaking his head,"But I tell everything to Mommy. Secrets are bad."_

_Jiwoon bit the inside of his cheek, the smile on his face crumbling into a look of sadness,"I knew it was too soon."_

_"What was?"_

_"I thought you would be ready, but you're too young. Maybe I should come back when you're not a child anymore," Jiwoon sighed sadly, slowly standing up under the gaze of Taehyung's wide eyes and large pout._

_"No!" He quickly grabbed Jiwoon by his shirt and tugged him back down on the bed,"I'm ready! I'm not too young!"_

_"Are you sure? Because I told you to stay silent, but you're yelling." Jiwoon pointed out, his eyes downcast towards the ground as if he was sad and disappointed._

_Tae slumped in shame, fumbling with the sleeves of his bunny onesie,"I'm sorry."_

_The two sat in silence, Taehyung's eyes eventually welled up with tears and his lip wobbling at the thought of disappointing his older brother. Jiwoon stared at him with a blank expression, rolling his eyes when Tae wasn't looking._

_"Are you sure you're ready? That you can take it no matter what?" Jiwoon asked, making Tae look up from his lap and look into the gentle eyes of his brother. He nodded eagerly, wiping away the tears resting on his chubby cheeks._

_"I love you so much, TaeTae." Jiwoon whispered with a smile, raising his hand to caress his brother's chubby, wet cheek. _

_Taehyung grinned in return, revealing an identical box shaped smile and a row of uneven teeth,"I love you too, bubba." He whispered quietly, yet his words were filled with so much love and innocence._

_"I know." Jiwoon murmured, pulling his hand back to push Taehyung down on the bed so that he would be laying on his back._

_"You trust me, right?" Jiwoon asked a confused Taehyung, staring down at him with equally dark eyes. Taehyung grinned widely, his eyes radiating naivety and love._

_"I love you so so much, TaeTae. So much that I want to show you how much I love you, Okay?" Jiwoon explained slowly, a gentle smile resting on his lips, making Taehyung nod again,"Good. But you can't tell anyone, because they would be jealous and sad of how much I love you."_

_Taehyung pouted and tilted his head to the side,"But why? Doesn't everyone love each other?"_

_Jiwoon licked his lips, thinking for a second before shaking his head,"Not the way we love each other, so we can't tell anyone, okay? Not if you want me to be taken away, not if you want daddy and mommy to be disappointed with you."_

_Taehyung's eyes teared up at the thought before he quickly shook his head, biting his lip to stop it from wobbling,"Not gonna tell anyone."_

_"Good boy," Jiwoon whispered before grabbing the hold of Taehyung's onesie zipper and slowly pulling it open,"Not even mommy and daddy, okay?"_

_"Jiwoon?" Taehyung asked in a shaky whisper, staring down at Jiwoon's hand as he pulled open his onesie,"Wha...what you doing'?"_

_Jiwoon shushed him,"You told me you're a big boy, not a little baby anymore, right?" Taehyung frowned before hesitantly nodding his head, causing his raven locks to bounce on his head,"This is how big boy love their brothers, okay?"_

_Taehyung bit his lip, tears gathering in his eyes as Jiwoon slowly slipped his onesie off. The cold air bit at his exposed, soft skin, causing goosebumps to appear on top of his arms,"Cold." He mumbled quietly, watching with wide eyes as Jiwoon began to pull his pants down._

_"Don't worry, I'll keep you warm." Jiwoon smiled, bending over Taehyung's small body to caress the side of his face,"You love me, right?"_

_Taehyung nodded, not as eagerly as before. His confusion filled eyes glanced down as his brother grabbed his legs legs and pulled them apart, slipping in between them._

_"Jiwoon?"_

_"Shhh,"Jiwoon shushed him, pressing his palm against Tae's plump lips and staring into his teary eyes,"Big boys keep their mouths shut, Taehyung."_

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

"Taehyung?"

The distant voice reached Taehyung's ears and echoed in his mind, wrapping around his thoughts and bringing him back to reality. Taehyung hummed, blinking away the images surfacing in his mind before focusing on the field of tall grass in front of him.

"You...spaced out." Andrea pointed out, swaying on her legs and clutching at her stomach. Her sweaty skin glistened in the sun and the bitter wind pulled at her blond locks as she pulled the grey blanket closer to herself.

Taehyung sighed at the state Andrea was in and glanced back at Michonne, who walked up to him with a raised eyebrow. He shook his head at her, implementing that the conversation was over and he didn't want to talk about it, before turning back to face the empty field. 

Taehyung's eyes traveled over the tip of the trees in the distance, focusing on the smoke coming from the helicopter that crashed to the ground an hour ago.

"We should go," Michonne mumbled, her squinted eyes focusing on the smoke,"There could be something we could use." She glanced at Taehyung and Andrea before tugging her pet walkers forward and walking through the field.

"You know we're not the only ones with the same idea, right?" Taehyung called out to Michonne as he took a hold of one of Andrea's arms and wrapped it around his neck to help her walk.

"You don-"

"Shut those pretty lips for me." Taehyung cut off Andrea's protests, focusing his attention on walking forward. His nose scrunched up in displeasure as he was forced to push and walk through the tall grass, that reached his belly button.

Andrea grunted, desperately clinging to Taehyung and forcing her shaky legs to step forward. Taehyung didn't say anything, his handsome face stretched out into a concentrated frown.

Taehyung's body was clad in a skintight black shirt with three wooden buttons on the top- the two top ones were unbuttoned, showing off his tan skin. The shirt was tucked into a pair of black skinny jeans, that clung to his muscular thighs. The skin tight clothing made it easier for him to manoeuvre around and harder for walkers to grab onto him.

Taehyung's curly hair messily fell around his head- strands of ink black hair covering his forehead. A thin layer of sweat coated his tan skin, making it glisten in the hot sun. Taehyung's narrow brows were drawn together and his lips were pursued as he stepped through the tall grass.

Andrea stumbled forward, her legs nearly giving out on her as she tripped over the grass. Taehyung grabbed a hold of her before she could fall and steadied her on her feet,"You good?" He raised a brow, staring down at her with ink black eyes.

Andrea swallowed thickly and nodded her head,"Yeah...yeah, lets go." She whispered, shaking her head and pulling herself together.

"You know,"Taehyung spoke up, wrapping his arm around Andrea's waist so that he was almost holding up all of her weight,"I can always carry you. It would be faster and you could get some rest."

Andrea shook her head stubbornly, glaring at the teasing smile displayed on Taehyung's face. She scoffed and rolled her eyes,"Yeah, I won't give you the satisfaction to tease me about it."

Taehyung rolled his eyes, releasing his hold on her, making her stumble and yelp. Before Andrea could fall, Taehyung bent down and picked her up- his arms holding her up by her waist and knees.

"Put me down, you asshole." Andrea hissed, a glare appearing on her face as she weakly pushed against Taehyung's broad chest.

A deep chuckle rumbled in Tae's throat as he walked through the field of tall grass with long strides. He ignored Andrea's grumbles and the occasional pushes against his chest, instead, walking until he left the field and reached the edge of the forest.

Michonne, who was standing ahead of them, waiting for them to catch up, eyed Andrea and snickered under her breath. Taehyung and her shared taunting smiles, making Andrea scoff and slouch. Taehyung snorted, continuing to walk through the forest.

After a few minutes of Taehyung carrying an exhausted Andrea and Michonne occasionally killing any stray walkers, Taehyung picked up the bitter smell of smoke.

Pushing past a few more shrubs and trees, they came across a clearing. Taehyung could see the crashed helicopter, it's rotor blades had been snapped in half- one dangling halfway down and the other laying on the ground. Grey smoke rose from the helicopter, filling the air and capturing the attention of everyone, who saw it.

"We're not safe here." Taehyung spoke gruffly, quickly setting Andrea down on her legs and grabbing his gun,"I'll go che-"

Andrea cut Taehyung off by bending over and puking her guts out. Taehyung released a deep sigh, turning away from her to look up at the crash sight,"I'll go check it out. You two stay on watch, if you hear _anything_\- a walker, a person, I don't care, we get out of here." Taehyung ordered, his tone firm and authoritative.

He glanced down at Andrea, who nodded weakly and spat out her bile covered saliva. Taehyung glanced towards Michonne to see her opinion about it,"Smoke attracts walkers, walkers make noise and noise attracts more walkers," Taehyung explained, pulling out his gun to check the amo before sparing a glance towards his throwing knives,"It may seem like it's only one, but behind it could be a horde." 

Michonne nodded at him, offering him a small smile to show that she agreed. Taehyung nodded, shutting the magazine of the gun until his head snapped towards Andrea, when she released a chuckle.

"You called them walkers." She looked up at Taehyung with a teasing smile.

Taehyung rolled his eyes, trying to suppress his smile from appearing,"Be grateful that I stopped calling them zombies."

When Andrea met Taehyung and Michonne in the forest, the two reluctantly decided to help the blonde. After a few weeks, Andrea was more comfortable with the pair and finally voiced her displeasure, when Taehyung called the walkers, zombies. Taehyung stubbornly ignored her, continuing to call them whatever he wanted to call them. But after a few months together, the word 'walker' stuck to him and he accidentally picked it up. Yet the Male still tried to not show it and sometimes called them 'zombies' just to annoy Andrea.

Michonne turned away to hide her smile, while Andrea plopped down on the ground with a chuckle. Taehyung turned around and walking out of the cover of the trees, entering the opening.

Dead leaves scrunched under his boots as he stepped forward, trying to make as little noise as possible. Taehyung's eyes dragged over the crash sight, trying to look for any survivors that could possibly try and attack him.

He stepped over fallen tree branches, his dark eyes glaring at the destroyed helicopter. The smell of smoke and burning flesh burned into his nose, causing Taehyung to grabbed his black face mask, that was hanging around his neck, and pull it over his nose.

Taehyung slowed down as he neared the helicopter, his hold on his gun tightening once he saw the dead body of one of the pilots. The guy had been ripped apart- his legs laying a metre away from the rest of his body. Blood and guts gushed out of the tearing places, staining the once green grass red.

Taehyung glanced into the lifeless gaze of the pilot before turning his attention back on the helicopter. He stepped over the dead body, walking over to the helicopter. Taehyung raised his gun, looking inside to make sure no one was hiding in there. When the sight of another dead pilot greeted him, he pushed his gun back into the holster before bending down to look inside the helicopter.

The sound of a deep rumble, captured Taehyung's attention. His eyes snapped up, looking through a hole on the other side of the helicopter, only to see trucks driving his way.

"Shit." Taehyung groaned, pushing away from the helicopter and turning around. He dashed over the field, jumping over the dead body and fallen trees.

The sound of the cars intensified as they came closer, eventually stopping right next to the crash sight. Taehyung pushed past the trees and quickly ducked down behind them, hiding just in time.

Taehyung tried to steady his breathing, glancing at the unfamiliar people as they stepped out of the cars and approached the helicopter. Taehyung and Michonne shared a silent look, the latter grasping her katana in case the people would notice them.

Andrea, who was swaying, despite sitting down on her knees, blinked sluggishly, staring at the people with confusion.

Taehyung licked his lips under the mask, eyeing the group of people. All of them were carrying weapons- guns, bats, knives. Taehyung knew, if they were noticed, they didn't have a chance to fight against the group and get away unharmed. And he was certain that the helicopter didn't have anything useful in it anyway.

"Lets go." He whispered in a deep voice, turning his eyes away from the unfamiliar group to look at Michonne and Andrea.

Michonne stared at the people with a glare, her face emotionless, she tore her eyes away from them and gave Taehyung a firm nod. Michonne reached out to help Andrea stand up, Taehyung following in suit, yet still sparing wary glances towards the group.

The sound of a growl, caused Taehyung to quickly grab Michonne and pull her back down to her knees. His attention snapped towards a walker as it pushed past the trees behind them and approached the unfamiliar group.

Taehyung held his breath, watching as the walker shuffled past them as if they weren't there. Thanks to Michonne's two walker pets, in the eyes of the walkers, the group of three were one of them.

The walker captured the attention of the unfamiliar men, making them pause and shoot it down with a bow. Taehyung sighed through his nose, his back straightening out as he watched the guy, with the bow, eye their direction. Michonne's walker pets became restless, shuffling on their feet and growling, causing their chains to rattle and draw the attention of the group.

Taehyung snapped his head towards the two walkers before looking at Michonne. The latter clenched her jaw before swiftly pulling out her katana and slicing off the heads of the two walkers. Taehyung's brows rose in surprise as he watched the two bodies fall to the ground with thumps.

Michonne nodded at Tae, sliding her katana back into place and sitting back down. Taehyung's gaze drifted towards the unfamiliar group and he tensed, seeing the males looking their way. Their faces were filled with confusion as they grasped at their weapons, wondering why the growls suddenly disappeared.

Taehyung released his breath, when the group relaxed and turned away, their attention falling onto the fallen helicopter. Taehyung nodded to himself before looking at Michonne,"Let's g-"

The sound of a branch snapping directly behind them, caused Michonne to grab her katana and Taehyung to grab a throwing knife from his thigh holster.

"_Ah, ah, ah_," A raspy, taunting voice cut through the air, stopping Tae and Michonne from turning around. Taehyung huffed and clenched his jaw when the sound of a gun cocking reached his ears.

"Put down your weapons." A female voice filled the tension filled air before the sound of grass crunching under light footsteps joined the voice.

"How about you be an example and put down yours?" Taehyung grunted, pressing his tongue against his cheek and carefully shifting his hold on his throwing knife.

The female chuckled, the sound coming off as mocking and condescending,"I don't think you're in the position to demand anything."

Taehyung heard the female step closer to him before he felt something press against the back of his head,"Do as you're told." She shoved the gun harshly against Tae's head, causing his head to jerk forward.

"That's it, nice and easy," Taehyung looked at Michonne, only to receive a pointed look as she placed her katana in the ground,"Raise your hands in the air and spin around."

Taehyung licked his lips and slid the throwing knife into the sleeve of his shirt. He rose his hands up in the air, showing that he didn't have any weapons before slowly turning around.

"Damn, you're hot." The female mumbled, eyeing Taehyung from head to toe, making him roll his eyes.

The girl was younger than Taehyung, maybe 18 or 19, and she was shorter than him too, around 5'4. Her sandy brown hair was pulled up into a half bun, her curls being wild and untamed. Her face was bare of makeup, making her natural features stand out- sharp cheekbones, long, straight nose, sky blue eyes and plump, pink lips.

"Oh, holy shit." Taehyung looked at the other Male, who was staring at Andrea with a wide smile,"Blondie." Taehyung glared at the greying Male, smirking as a walker stumbled towards him from behind. The Male grinned wider, eyeing a sickly pale Andrea,"You're looking..._good_." The walker reached the older Male, causing him to jerk his right hand up and stab a knife through the walker's skull, while still staring at Andrea.

Taehyung's brows furrowed as he eyed the guy's chopped off arm. The right arm was missing from the wrist up, but there was a metal cone shoved on top of it and a knife was attached to it, making the arm a weapon.

"You know her?" The unfamiliar female raised a brow, cocking her head to the side. Taehyung glanced in between the girl, who stared at the man and Andrea with a scrunched up nose, before looking at Andrea, who was swaying and looking at the greying man with hazy eyes.

"Now how about a big hug for your old pal Merle?" Merle taunted with a grin, spreading his arms wide open.

Taehyung licked his lips, eyeing the group before carefully slipping his knife out of the sleeve of his shirt. The sound of a thud, caused Taehyung to look at Andrea, only to see her passed out on the ground.

The girl in front of Taehyung snickered, while Merle grinned in amusement, looking down at Andrea with a raised brow. Taehyung used the moment of distraction to swipe his leg under the girl's and make her fall down to the ground and land on her back.

Taehyung twirled his throwing knife around and raised it to throw it at Merle, only to have a gun be shoved in his face.

Merle whistled and smirked as he eyed Taehyung,"Damn, that was badass. Almost had me cracked up from seeing the look on Kate's face."

Taehyung didn't say anything, only glared into Merle's eyes, the throwing knife still raised an ready to be thrown. Merle's smile fell before he stepped closer to Taehyung and pushed the tip of the gun into his face,"Do that again, and you'll have a bullet decorating your skull."

Kate, the blonde girl, grunted and pushed off of the ground to stand up,"Asshole." She hissed, marching up to Taehyung and ripping the throwing knife out of his hold.

"Now that that's over,"Merle smiled yet again, eyeing the group three- one of the members glaring, one looking down at Andrea in concern and the third one laying on the ground unconscious,"I think it's time to have a little reunion." Taehyung only glared up at a grinning Merle.


	22. Stalker

Taehyung's fingers drummed against the wooden table and his ink black eyes drank in the room as if any little detail could save his life. Taehyung hummed, the sound rumbling in his throat and replacing the silence in the air as he patiently waited for someone to enter the room.

The great '_reunion_' Merle was talking about, meant that they would be kidnapped and taken to some town with walls built up around it. Andrea was taken to see a doctor as soon as possible, while Michonne and Taehyung were placed into separate rooms for '_waiting_'.

After around 15 minutes, Taehyung grew bored and began to form a plan to get the fuck out of there. He didn't trust these people, because none of them bothered to take his weapons, nor did they use any ropes or handcuffs to prevent him from attacking someone, and they didn't even lock the door or put guards outside of it.

In Taehyung's mind, it meant that either the group consisted of idiots or they were more dangerous than they seemed. And he didn't want to stay long enough to find out which one it was.

The room Tae was in was small- plank walls and cement ground with pebbles and gravel dusting over it. The room had no windows, meaning the only exit was the door on the opposite side of Taehyung, and the only light in the room was the lightbulb hanging above his head. The scent of dust and dirt tickled his nose every time he inhaled, causing him to roll his eyes.

The door to the room creaked open, only for Merle to march inside with a shit eating grin on his face,"My, my, my, what a pleasant surprise." He exclaimed, slamming the door shut behind himself.

"I'm sure it would be, if you weren't the one who put me in here." Taehyung mussed, his lips tilting up into a devilish grin as he leaned into the chair and continued to drum his fingers against the table.

"You." Merle raised a brow, dragging a chair into the room and placing it on the other side of the table. He plopped down on it and smirked at Taehyung,"I like you."

Taehyung raised a brow, not saying anything as he eyed Merle's nonchalant expression. His fingers itched to grab the guy by his hair and use him as leverage to get out of this place. But instead, Taehyung smiled and raised an eyebrow, watching Merle with sharp eyes.

"_Andrea_," Merle popped his tongue, a chuckle leaving his lips as he gazed off into the distance,"We used to be in the same group, until an asshole handcuffed me to a roof in Atlanta and left me there."

"Am I supposed to sympathise with your sob story?" Taehyung mocked, pushing his back off of the chair to place both of his hands on top of the table,"Tell me and maybe I'll shed a few tears."

Merle scoffed out a laugh before raising his right arm up to show it off the cut off wrist,"Its a story on how I got this."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Taehyung faked a yawn, a smug smirk making its way onto his face,"I think I nearly fell asleep for a second." He placed his elbow on the table and leaned his head against his knuckles.

Merle's smile crumbled for a second and he glared before licking his lips and slamming his metal arm down on the table. Taehyung didn't even flinch, instead, watched Merle as he slowly stood up and walked around the table towards Taehyung.

"Hey! I got a better idea!" Taehyung perked up, his ink black eyes connecting with Merle's blue ones. Taehyung ran his tongue over his teeth before stretching his lips out into a wide smile,"Instead of talking about your life story, lets talk about something more...._relevant_."

"Like how you, the mute samurai and blondie spent the whole winter huddling up together?" Merle snickered, trying to get a reaction out of Taehyung, only for him to raise an unimpressed brow.

"It's the winter, you want us to freeze to death?" Taehyung rolled his eyes, leaning his back against the chair and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Where'd ya' come from?" Merle questioned to change the topic. He leaned against the wooden table and admired his metal arm, Merle spotted a few specks of blood on the knife's blade, making him wipe it off on his pants.

Taehyung grazed his teeth over his chapped lip before smirking,"You seem awfully interested in me. How about you take me out on a date first."

Merle's face scrunched up in disgust, his eyes falling onto a cocky Taehyung,"I'm not a fag, dolly."

Taehyung's grin faltered as soon as he heard the _'f_' word. He clenched his jaw, allowing his expression to go blank,"Don't use that term." Taehyung warned in a low, steady tone, the words coming out intertwined with a hint of growl.

Merle raised a brow, a snicker leaving his lips,"What? You a fag or somethin'? I thought Chinese people don't tolerate that kind of shit." He mocked, eyeing Taehyung from head to toe.

Taehyung's jet-black hair fell into his face, casting shadows over his already darkened features. His ink black eyes didn't move away from Merle's as the silence eloped the room. Tae's lip curled up into a snarl before the corners of his lips twitched up and he smiled,"Careful." He warned, the word coming out in a form of a low mutter. Yet despite the volume, Merle could clearly hear the anger, authority and threat all stuffed inside it,"Wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"Are you threatening me?" Merle huffed out in disbelief before his lips pressed into a straight line and he marched up to Taehyung. Taehyung straightened out in the chair as Merle placed his hands on the arm rests and leaned down to get in Taehyung's face,"Threaten me again, watch wh-"

Taehyung cut Merle off by leering his head back and slamming it against his head. Merle stumbled back, a hiss leaving his lips as he grabbed onto his forehead. Taehyung's face scrunched up in pain, his skull painfully throbbing from the headbutt. He shook his head, blinking away the blurriness in his eyes, before raising his leg and slammed it agaisnt Merle's stomach. Merle slammed against the wooden table behind him with a low groan, nearly falling over.

Merle growled and shook his head, pulling his hand away to glare at Taehyung. The latter smirked smugly before standing up from the chair and stretching his arms above his head to ease the tension in his muscles. Merle grinned, his shoulders relaxing before he jumped forward, his knifed hand directed towards Taehyung's stomach.

Taehyung ducked out of the way, causing Merle to fly past him. Tae grabbed him by his arm and pushed him into the wooden chair, making it topple and fall over with Merle still in it.

Taehyung quickly turned around and ran towards the door, ripping it open and running into the empty hallway. Taehyung was in the end of the narrow hallway- the ground was a mixture of dirt and gravel, while the walls were planked. Lit torches were placed along the walls, allowing light to illuminate the hallway. The scent of the wooden planks moulding, due to water getting to them, caused Taehyung to rub his nose to try and get the smell out of his nostrils.

Taehyung marched down the hallway, glancing at the wooden doors to his left and right, before making a sharp turn to the right and walking down a different hallway. The sight of a metal door at the end of the hall, made Taehyung speed up. The door had a little window, allowing him to see the outside world.

Heavy, fast approaching footsteps, made Taehyung quickly glance behind him. He saw Merle run down the hallway after him, causing him to jump into a sprint and run towards the metal door.

Taehyung grabbed the door handle and ripped the door open, slipping through it and leaving the building. Tae slammed the door shut behind himself, looking around to find a pipe or something. He noticed a wooden plank laying next to the door and quickly grabbed it.

Taehyung looked through the small window, in the door, to see Merle a metre away- his face scrunched up in anger. Taehyung quickly jabbed the wooden plank into the small space between the door and the doorframe before pressing his weight against the plank to break the rest off. 

A grunt left Tae's lips as the wood suddenly snapped in half. He looked up and took a step back as Merle slammed against the door and wiggled the door handle. He smirked, watching the handle rattle and Merle slam his fists against the door, yet the door didn't budge.

"Put your hands up." The sound of a gun cocking, caused Taehyung's smile to crumble into a look of annoyance.Merle stopped banging against the door and looked through the glass at Taehyung and the person behind him.

"If you're gonna shoot me, shoot me while I'm facing you." Taehyung spoke calmly, slowly holding up his hands. He stared into the glaring eyes of Merle, through the window in the door, before slowly turning around to face the new person.

Taehyung finally noticed that he was in the middle of a town square. Bowls of fire and torches were placed around the streets, causing the light from the fire to scare away the darkness of the night. The streets were empty and Taehyung could see light shining from the buildings around him, implying that there were people living inside them.

Taehyung inhaled a lungful of fresh air before his eyes traveled back to the person aiming a gun at him,"Where am I?"

The dark skinned girl glanced at Merle, who was trying to push the door open. Taehyung took a step towards her, only for her to jump back and point the gun at him again,"Step back, asshole!"

"Why do people keep calling me an asshole?" Taehyung grumbled under his breath, genuinely offended by the term, considering, that in his mind, he was a nice guy. Taehyung scoffed with an eye roll before looking back at the girl and forcing a smile on his face,"Look, I think we kinda started off on the wrong foot."

"I'm Taehyung." Taehyung introduced himself, carefully placing his right hand on his chest, only to slip it across his chest towards his chest harness and grab the handle of his throwing knife. As he pulled his hand away to hold it back up, he pulled the knife out of the holster and hid it behind his palm, holding the tip of the handle with his fingers,"And you are?"

The girl bit her lip, glaring at him and eyeing him suspiciously. She spared another glance at Merle, who gave up and just slumped against the metal door, “Imani." The dark skinned girl introduced herself, nervously shifting on her feet.

Taehyung smiled softly, relaxing his shoulders and looking away from her to look at the fire dancing on the torches,"Did you know, that name Imani means Fierce?"

"Does it?" Imani perked up, looking at Taehyung with raised brows as her interest was piqued. She used to be interested in astrology and the meaning of things. But after the apocalypse happened, her priorities and interests changed.

Taehyung chuckled, nodding,"It does." The two enjoyed the silence, wrapping around them as they maintained eye contact. Taehyung took a careful step towards her and stared into her brown eyes, licking his bottom lip.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Imani mumbled, imitating Taehyung and biting her own lip. Her nose scrunched up as she admired Taehyung, slowly lowering her gun.

"I'm sorry, I just..." Taehyung slowly lowered his hands to his sides, the darkness around them helping him twirl the throwing knife around, so that it would be in perfect position. Tae looked at the ground, chewing on his lip before looking up at the girl with a breathless smile,"It's been a while since I've actually seen someone beautiful."

Imani sucked in a deep breath, her eyes widening and her eyebrows scrunching together. She quickly shook her head and rolled her eyes at his words,"That was ba-"

Taehyung raised his hand and in one fluid motion, the throwing knife left his palm and sliced through the air. Before Imani could finish her sentence, the knife lodged into her skull. The expression on her face crumbled like her body as it hit the ground lifelessly.

"Don't insult my flirting skills." Taehyung grumbled, marching up to Imani's lifeless body. He bent down next to her, grabbing the handle of his knife and swiftly pulling it out of her head.

Blood trickled down the wound in her forehead and slid down the side of her face. Her blank eyes stared up at the night sky, the light coming from the fire illuminating her sharp features.

Taehyung grabbed the gun out of her limp hand before cleaning the blood off of the knife and onto her grey shirt. He shoved the knife back into its holster before leaning closer to her ear,"By the way, the name '_Imani_' doesn't mean fierce."

Taehyung stood up and turned around to walk away. He checked how much ammo the gun had as he walked through the empty streets of the town.

The sound of talking made him look up, only to see Andrea and Michonne standing in front of a gate, that probably led to the outside world. The fence around the town towered over Taehyung's form, but there were watch-posts that allowed you to look over the walls and possibly climb over them.

Next to Andrea and Michone stood a tall guy with a small scruff, brown hair and a wide smile. There were two other guys, who kept watch as they shuffled on their feet and eyed Andrea and Michonne suspiciously. The girl from before, Kate, stood next to the tall guy, her arms crossed over her chest and her expression the one of boredom.

Taehyung slowly approached the group, the gun in his hand gripped tightly. His footsteps, caused the group of people to turn his way. The unfamiliar men looked alarmed for a second before the tall guy shook his head at them, while Kate raised a brow and checked him out.

"Taehyung!" Andrea perked up, smiling widely and approaching him quickly. Taehyung immediately noticed the change in her- Andrea's skin had a healthier glow and the bags under her eyes were almost nonexistent. Yes, she was still paler than the average person, but she didn't need anyone to help her walk anymore.

Michonne's tense body quickly relaxed as she released a breath of relief and walked towards him. Andrea wrapped her arms around Taehyung, making him awkwardly pat her back while eyeing the unfamiliar men.

"So this is Taehyung?" The tall guy raised his brows, approaching Taehyung with a friendly smile and precaution.

"The one and only." Taehyung grinned, holding his gun up and aiming it at the guy's head. Andrea gasped and jumped away from him in alarm, while Michonne stepped closer to him with an unbothered and slightly grateful look in her eyes.

"There's no need for that,"The tall guy raised his hands up in surrender before stopping Kate from drawing her own gun or any of the other guys from shooting Taehyung.

Taehyung raised an unimpressed brow, biting the inside of his cheek and eyeing their weapons which were strapped to their hips or pointed at him,"I think I'll be the judge of that."

"You don't trust us, I understand, but there are innocent people here, who don't need to witness this. Put the gun down, I'll answer any question you have and you can leave if you want to." The tall guy spoke calmly, a friendly smile plastered on his face as he took a step towards Taehyung. His hands were raised up in surrender, yet his gun was still strapped to his hip.

Taehyung wasn't fooled by the fake kindness, he had experienced enough fake smiles and manipulation to know what's real and what's not. He could see something sinister lurking under the friendly smile, waiting for a reason to unleash it.

But instead of pulling the trigger, like he would've done so many years ago, Taehyung decided to be smarter, he lowered the gun and smiled apologetically,"Yeah, you're right, my apologies." Taehyung dropped the gun to the side, watching carefully as the guns, pointed at him, were lowered.

"You can call me the governor." The tall guy grinned wider, placing his hands on his hips and exhaling deeply,"It's nice to meet you, Taehyung."

Taehyung sucked in his cheek before nodding and looking at Michonne, the two sharing silent looks,"Yeah, you too." He mumbled, looking back at the governor.

"You all must be tired,"The governor stated, glancing in between the three, his eyes lingering on Andrea, who watched him with sparkling eyes full of admiration,"Kate here will show you to your room." The governor gestured towards the blonde girl, who's face scrunched up in annoyance.

The governor gave her a pointed stare, making her huff and turn towards the three. Taehyung stared her down with no emotion as she walked towards them and nodded for them to follow her,"Hi, I'm Kate, I'll be your tour guide."

Kate's hair was released, making her hair puff up and fall over her head in messy curls. She wore a red shirt, that showed off her cleavage, and black skinny jeans.

Taehyung averted his eyes and followed after her silently as she led them through the town. After a few seconds of silence, Taehyung pursued his lips and spoke up,"Is it too late to inform you that I killed one of your people?"

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

_Teenagers of all ages could be seen lounging outside of a high school. Some laughing and talking along their group of friends, while some could be seen scribbling down the answers to their unfinished homework._

_A car pulled up in front of the High School, the person at the wheel turning off the car and sitting back in the seat with a sigh. A low murmur of some pop song filled the car, breaking the awkward silence._

_The caramel coloured woman stared at the curious teenagers, who were trying to glance into the car, before looking at the person in the passenger seat,"You'll have to get out eventually, Jungkook."_

_Jungkook tore his eyes away from the school to look at his host Mom. He chewed on his bottom lip, clutching his backpack tighter as he eyed his classmates from inside of the car._

_"I'm scared." Jungkook mumbled, twisting his tongue uncomfortably, making his words come out laced with an accent._

_Morgan hummed, her nose scrunching up as she stared at a girl, who's cleavage was on the display for the world to see,"Yeah, high school....it sucks. Actually, school in general sucks. Oh, and I'm not really good at these motivational speeches." Morgan cringed at herself before looking at Jungkook's unimpressed expression._

_"Tell me that if I don't go out there, you'll drag me out by my hair." Jungkook instructed, his chubby cheeks tinting with a pink hue as his small, plump lips tilted up in a bunny smile._

_"Go out there or I'l- What the holy hell is she wearing?" Morgan's face scrunched up in disgust as her eyes caught the sight of a girl marching into the school with bright yellow joggers and a dark blue hoodie that nearly reached her knees._

_Jungkook snorted as he watched the girl's unfazed expression before looking back at Morgan,"You're bad."_

_"Well at least my style is better than hers." Morgan rolled her eyes, watching as Jungkook gathered up all of his courage._

_Jungkook sucked in a deep breath of air, making his chubby cheeks puff up. He clenched his eyes shut, murmuring something under his breath before pulling the car's door open and jumping out._

_"Be caref-" Jungkook heard Morgan shout as he slammed the door shut behind himself._

_Jungkook could feel eyes piercing through him from all directions, and the low murmurs behind him didn't help his confidence at all. Jungkook grasped the straps of his backpack before quickly jogging up the stairs to the building._

_He pushed through the door and entered the school, the sight of lockers and empty halls filled his eyes. Jungkook chewed on his lip as he walked through the hall, the occasional student eyeing him and shaking their head before looking away._

_Jungkook's heart thumped in his chest, his puppy eyes falling to the ground as he shuffled forward. He tried to sink deeper into his hoodie, to hide himself from the judgemental stares he was receiving. This sure as hell wasn't what he was expecting for American High School to look like, he hoped that the people would be nicer and more welcoming too._

_The sound of arguing, caused Jungkook to look up from his sneakers and pause in his steps. The sight of the yellow jogger girl being pushed against a locker by a girl in a leather jacket, made his eyes widen._

_The leather jacket girl clutched the hoodie of the yellow jogger girl as she sneered into her face. Jungkook's brows shot up even more, when he saw students ignoring the scene and walking around them, trying to keep their distance._

_Jungkook chewed on his bottom lip, shuffling on his feet and wondering what he should do. He shut his eyes, tilting his head back before groaning and forcing his legs to move towards the two girls._

_When Jungkook got closer, he heard small snippets of the conversation. It was something about the yellow jogger girl seeing something she wasn't supposed to see, so the girl in the leather jacket threatened her if she ever told anyone. But in Jungkook's mind, no matter what the girl saw, she didn't deserve to be pushed around like that._

_Jungkook approached them and stood next to them, catching the attention of the two girls. The jogger girl's eyes widened at seeing Jungkook before she began to shake her head, silently telling him to leave._

_"Oh, great." The leather girl huffed with an eye roll. She pushed off of the other girl and faced Jungkook, crossing her arms over her chest,"A newbie. Don't worry, you'll learn to mind your own business and look away."_

_Jungkook scowled and stared at her with doe eyes, “That's...Uhm...rude." He murmured, glancing between the jogger girl and the leather jacket. The latter scoffed out a laugh, glancing at the other girl almost in disbelief._

_"Stop, he doesn't know." The jogger girl quickly stood up straighter, almost stopping in front of Jungkook as if to protect him,"Give him some time to...get used to things. I promise I won't tell anyone, if you do."_

_The leather jacket girl furrowed her brows, looking down at the jogger girl with confusion. Jungkook chewed on his lip and glanced between the two in innocent confusion._

_After a few seconds of silence, the leather jacket girl perked up in realisation and looked at Jungkook with a devilish smirk,"This fast? Really? That's kind of pathetic, Sage."_

_Sage, the girl with the yellow joggers, scoffed and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest,"Just lea-"_

_"I'm Katelyn, but you can call me Kate." The leather jacket girl introduced herself, stretching out a manicured hand. Jungkook eyed it suspiciously before taking it and cautiously shaking the outstretched hand,"What's your name, pretty boy?"_

_Jungkook's eyes widened and his chubby cheeks gained a bright red dust to them. He licked his lips, avoiding eye contact with Kate as he answered,"Jungkook."_

_Sage glared up at Kate, while the latter smirked and sent her a wink,"I'm sure we'll be good friends." Jungkook gulped nervously, sucking in a sharp breath as Kate's eyes fell back on him._

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Jungkook jerked awake, his vision filling with darkness and his ears with growls. Harsh breathing and banging caressed the narrow space, Jungkook was in, as he panicked before remembering where he was.

He squeezed his eyes shut, allowing his head to fall back as he listened to the walker banging against the hood of the car trunk. Jungkook pressed his hand against his face and rubbed the crust out of his eyes before reaching his hand out and pulling out his knife.

Jungkook sucked in a deep breath and pressed both of his hand against the trunk before pushing it open harshly. The walker stumbled back, its eyes staring at Jungkook as he quickly climbed out of the trunk and stretched out his aching limbs.

The walker pounced on Jungkook, making him grab it by his throat and hold it away from him. He pushed the walker against the abandoned car and drove the knife into its skull. Jungkook allowed the dead body to fall to the ground limply before he straightened out and stretched his limbs with a groan.

It has been 3 days since Jungkook left the group. He spent the time covering up his tracks, in case Rick sent Daryl after him to track him down and take him back. The thought of using the skills, Daryl taught him, against him, made Jungkook smirk and snort.

He created multiple fake tracks going from the prison to places, that had 'don't follow me' written all over it. He knew it won't take much time for Daryl to figure out which one was the real track, so he used as much time as he had to get away from the prison.

Jungkook walked around the car, pulling open the car's door to reach in and pull his black backpack out. Jungkook froze as he noticed that his backpack wasn't in the place he left it and, instead, was laying on the ground. He quickly grabbed it before straightening out.

Jungkook knew it could be a coincidence and maybe the backpack just fell off of the seat. But how could it, when the car wasn't moving and Jungkook was asleep in the trunk?

Jungkook looked around the abandoned road, his narrow eyes trying to catch a glimpse of movement. He looked in between the trees, yet no matter how much he looked, he couldn't see anything except for trees.

Jungkook huffed and grumbled under his breath, looking down at his backpack. He chewed on his bottom lip, running his hand through his tangled brown hair before slamming the backpack on the top of the car and ripping it open.

Jungkook dug his hand through the backpack, his hand running over a few cans of food and a bottle of water. Jungkook sighed and squeezed his eyes shut, noticing that a can of food was missing and the water in the bottle was nearly empty.

He exhaled sharply, clenching his jaw and shutting the backpack before swinging it over his shoulders. Jungkook eyed the forest again before turning around and marching into it.

Now it all made sense- the crunching leaves, the missing cans of food, the feeling of someone watching him. Jungkook thought he was paranoid and was going crazy, but now he knew. He wasn't crazy, he was being followed.


	23. Brat

Some consider knowledge to be a burden, but the burden of knowledge is lighter than the joy of ignorance. In Jungkook's case, the realisation that someone is following him, lead to him perceiving every little snap of branch as threatening. He couldn't get the sound of footsteps and the feeling of eyes crawling over his skin, like thousands of ants, out of his mind.

Yet the heavy weight in his chest was still better than walking around with a false sense of security. Maybe this realisation was exactly what Jungkook needed to bring him down to earth and realise, that no matter what he does, no matter where he goes or who he's with, he's never gonna be safe.

So Jungkook was left with no other choice- he ran. His footsteps and pants could be heard throughout the eerie quiet forest. But maybe if Jungkook wasn't so desperate to hear the familiar sound of footsteps behind him, he would hear the sound of birds chirping and walkers growling in the distance.

Sweat clung to Jungkook's skin, soaking in his grey shirt and creating a path of dark grey down his chest. Wet, sweaty strands of dark brown hair fell down his forehead, covering his brows and reaching his eyes.

Jungkook pushed past trees and branches, dodging the grabbing hands of any stray walkers. His chapped lips released a row of shallow breaths and his backpack swung from side to side as he ran.

Pushing his legs to move faster, Jungkook pushed through the curtain of leaves and jumped into a road. Jungkook paused and slowly crossed the road, glancing over his shoulder to try and see if anyone was there.

He entered the forest on the other side of the road before hiding behind a tree and staring at the forest he had just left. _Maybe it was Daryl. Maybe Rick sent him after me_. Jungkook thought, eyeing the forest behind him, only for the sound of wind howling and birds chirping to fill his ears. No sound of leaves crunching under the weight of a person could be heard. Maybe Jungkook was just paranoid being out there alone, maybe solitude wasn't influencing him in a good way.

Warily, Jungkook pushed away from the tree and began to follow the road, knowing that there had to be some kind of store along the road.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

  
**A few days prior  
**

For the first time in a while, a tranquil heaven of piece and serenity covered the prison. There was no sound of bickering or arguing, no sound of angry growls coming from walkers and no actions that questioned the authority of Rick Grimes.

Yet the peaceful atmosphere and the feeling of happiness, from Hershel being alright and awake, was shattered by a shrill call coming from Maggie.

"Rick!"

The said leader stopped talking to Daryl and looked at Maggie, who was marching towards him with a ripped piece of paper in her hand. Her face was scrunched up in distress and her eyes had a thin layer of tears coating them.

"What is it?" Rick immediately questioned, worry hidden between his words as he thought of the worst- Hershel got worse and was no longer with them.

Rick met her halfway, taking the paper offered to him."It's Ju...Jungkook," Maggie gasped out, her breathing quickening as she slowly began to panic,"I thought...I thought he was just angry because he wasn't allowed to go with you, so I went to check up on him, but his stuff is gone and the only thing left is this." Maggie explained, chewing on her nails and gesturing towards the paper in Rick's hand.

Confused, Daryl snatched the paper out of Rick's hand and quickly read what's written there,"He doesn't want us to follow him." Daryl scoffed dropping the paper to the ground before grabbing his crossbow and swinging it over his shoulders,"I'm going after him."

"Daryl, wait." Rick hissed, stopping Daryl from going anywhere. He swallowed thickly and ran a hand over his face,"We have to be smart about this. He can't have gone far, so let's check the prison first, maybe he's still here."

"Yeah? And what if he's not?" Daryl grumbled, shuffling on his feet to try and keep himself from going out there and tracking Jungkook down. Honestly, all he wanted to do was find the brat and drag him back by his hair.

"He's right. Every second we waste here, Jungkook will get further and further away from the prison." Maggie pipped in, crossing her arms over her chest and blinking away her tears.

"What's going on?" Glenn and Lori asked as they walked out of the block C and into the common area. The sound of Maggie's panicked voice echoed throughout the Cell Block, capturing the attention of the rest of the group.

"Jungkook ran away and we're going after him." Maggie stated, her face scrunched up in determination before she grabbed her gun and began to prepare herself.

"Wait what? Jungkook's gone?" Glenn exclaimed, his eyes going wide and his lips parting to release a breath of shock.

Maggie nodded,"And I'm going after him, you can all stay here, but I'm not leaving him out there alone." She stated firmly, looking into the eyes of each group member as she pulled a jacket over her shoulders,"Not when he needs us the most." She trailed off quieter, slowly realising that Jungkook had been giving them hints about leaving the group for _weeks_.

All the questions about where he could find supplies and clean water, the nights he spent sleeping away from the group, in darkness, or all the times he went out to hunt alone. Maybe it wasn't because Jungkook wanted solitude, maybe it was because Jungkook was slowly preparing himself for the time, when he actually did leave the group and would be alone. Yet all of them were so occupied with themselves, that they completely missed the cries of help coming from Jungkook.

"I'm coming with you." Glenn's voice brought Maggie out of her thoughts, stopping her from beating herself up even more. She chewed on her lip, watching as Glenn grabbed his weapons and got ready to go out there too.

"You can't go out there, it's dangerous." Lori spoke up, watching Glenn and Maggie with wide eyes. She looked at Rick as he paced and tried to think of a plan,"Rick! It's dangerous!" She marched up to Rick and grabbed his arm in order to grab his attention.

Rick glanced down at her before looking up as Carol and T-Dog entered the common area with confusion.

"Where are you going?" Carol questioned, eyeing Maggie, Glenn and Daryl as they turned around to go and leave the building.

Rick pushed out of Lori's hold and ignored the piercing gaze on the side of his face,"Rick!" Lori hissed, only for Rick to ignore her and walk towards the three to quickly stop them from leaving.

"Glenn, T-Dog, I want you to look for Jungkook inside the prison. Maybe he didn't go anywhere and is hiding right under our noses, waiting for us to leave so he could leave too." Rick instructed Glenn and T-Dog, the latter still being confused about what's happening. Glenn nodded, landed a kiss on Maggie's temple before going towards T-Dog to explain what's happening.

Rick turned towards Maggie and Carol,"I want you to check the outside of the prisoner- the fences, the watchtowers, he could be hiding in there too." He instructed them, receiving a sharp nod from Maggie and a confusion filled look from Carol,"Even if he's not, there could be something that tells us where he's going." Rick finished, grabbing two knifes from the metal table and placing them in his belt.

"Jungkook? What happened to Jungkook?" Carol asked in slight alarm, the sight of everyone rushing around and panicking, made her panic even more.

"Jungkook's gone." Maggie informed her nonchalantly, nodding for Carol to follow her outside,"He left." She finished, so that Carol could know what happened.

Carol's eyes widened after hearing that and she gasped,"I...I just saw him." She muttered in disbelief,"He said he's gonna go kill some walkers by the fence." She told the group, making Rick's brows raise.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Maggie asked immediately and looked at Carol with an accusing glare, trying to shift the blame on someone else to try and lessen the feeling of guilt inside of her.

Carol looked at Maggie and grew confused,"I just found out he was gone. I thought he was out there."

"You shou-"

"Stop," Daryl interrupted them from fighting, making them both shut up and look at him,"This ain't helping anyone and it ain't gonna change the fact that Jungkook's missin'. Lets just find him and bring him back." He grunted, looking at Rick to see if he was ready to head out.

The leader nodded,"He's right, the sooner we find Jungkook, the better." Rick turned around and followed after Daryl, while Glenn and T-Dog had already gone to look around the prison, and Maggie and Carol went outside to check around the fences.

Lori stared at everyone in disbelief, shocked that they would risk their lives to run after someone, who clearly didn't want to be found. She ran up to Rick and grabbed him by his wrist,"Rick!"

Daryl scoffed and rolled his eyes at her before turning around and heading towards the exit,"I'll wait by the gate." He grumbled, the words directed at Rick.

Rick huffed and looked down at Lori in annoyance,"I don't have time for this, Jungkook is out there and I have to help him."

"Jungkook clearly doesn't want to be found! Stop risking your life for him!" Lori hissed, her nose scrunching up in anger and her cheeks gaining a pink tint to them. Noticing that Rick was staring down at her with a calm expression and a hint of annoyance, she sighed and softened her voice,"You have a family to take care of here, Rick, you can't just...just run around after someone, who doesn't want to stay here."

Rick pushed her arm away, knowing what she's doing but not mentioning it as he turned around to walk towards the exit. Lori gaped at his retreating back before huffing and calling out,"Rick! Just stop and think about this!"

Rick grabbed the handle of the metal door, running his tongue over his teeth before shaking his head and looking down at the ground,"I told him that he didn't have to fight alone anymore, that he's not alone. I told him that he was a part of this group and I'll look after him."

Rick sighed and shook his head in disbelief,"He's been alone for months." A bitter chuckle escaped his lips before he gripped the handle of the metal door tighter and pulled it open,"I broke my promise once, I'm not breaking it again."

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Jungkook raised his fist and landed a few solid knocks on the door in front of him. After a few minutes of waiting for growls, Jungkook pushed past the door and entered the gas station.

A bell rung above his head and glass crunched under his feet as he walked through the building. There were four isles in the gas station, the shelves were a head taller than Jungkook, making him momentarily surprised.

The windows were covered with dirt and dust, stopping the light from entering properly. The white tiles were covered with specks of blood but mostly with dirt in the form of footprints. But judging by the way the dirt had crusted and stuck to the ground, Jungkook knew the footsteps were at least 2 week old.

Packets of food were laying on the ground and the shelves were relatively empty. Jungkook crouched down and grabbed a pack of chips, immediately ripping it open and grabbing a handful. He shoved the chips into his mouth, munching on them as he approached the cash register.

Jungkook took off his backpack and placed it on the counter, before turning around and exploring the store. He made his way over to the refrigerators, the bag of chips still in his hand and his mouth still moving from chewing. Jungkook stopped in front of the refrigerators, pausing as his eyes caught a sight of his reflection.

Jungkook's brown hair reached halfway down to his ears, the strands being wet and soaked with sweat from running so much. His once chubby cheeks were long gone, replaced by sharp cheek bones and a strong jawline.

His brows had darkened, along with his hair, and had gotten bushier. Jungkook gasped as he noticed a wrinkle forming in between his brows from knitting them so much. His pink lips were still small and doll like, and his eyes were still the same whiskey shade as always. _At least that hasn't changed._

Jungkook's once meek and small form was replaced by broad shoulders, firm muscles, that pushed through his grey shirt, and a tiny waist, that anyone would be jealous of. His once straw like legs had filled out and were pressing against his jeans, showing of the thickness of his muscles.

"Jesus." Jungkook muttered, eyeing himself through the glass. It felt like he was staring at a completely different person. But then again, he was no longer the person he used to be, so it was a different person.

Jungkook sighed and pulled open the refrigerator. He eyed the sodas and water bottles in it before grabbing a bottle of water and shutting the door.

The sound of the bell, above the gas station entrance, ringing, caused Jungkook to freeze. He stopped breathing for a second and slowly turned around to face the door, only for one of the shelves to shield the entrance.

Jungkook licked his bottom lip, before chewing on it as he listened to the sound of feather like footsteps stepping over the broken glass and walking further into the store. Jungkook slowly exhaled, afraid that the tiniest of noises could draw the attention of the intruder.

Carefully, Jungkook took a step towards the shelf to hide himself better and possibly step closer to the door in order to make a run for it. He slowly placed the bag of chips in an empty spot in the shelf before sliding his knife out of the holster.

The footsteps reached the middle of the middle isle before stopping. Jungkook held his breath, pressing himself against the shelf as he waited for the person to break the silence and fill the station with noise, so that Jungkook could hide his breathing among it.

He squeezed his eyes shut in relief after the footsteps continued down the isle towards the counter. The bitter feeling of realisation and regret dawned on him as he realised that his backpack was laying on the counter.

Jungkook winced and shook his head at himself before continuing to cautiously walk down the isle to the exit. He could faintly hear the other person stop in front of the counter before grabbing his backpack and sliding it off of the counter.

Jungkook reached the end of the isle, carefully turning right and walking around the shelf. His eyes glanced towards the cash register, only to pause, when he didn't see anyone there. Jungkook's face paled and the water bottle fell out of his hand as he stared at his backpack laying on the counter as if no one had touched it.

"What the fuck." Jungkook gasped, immediately walking down the isle towards his untouched backpack. His heart pounded in his ears and his hands shook from adrenaline coursing in his veins. Jungkook could feel sweat form on his forehead as he began to wonder if he was starting to hallucinate.

It would make sense- the hallucinations. What if the loneliness and desperation of wanting someone to care and come after him, mixed with the lack of nutrients and caused him to hallucinate? What if he unconsciously wanted Daryl to come after him, so he forced his brain into believing that he did?

As Jungkook reached the middle of the isle, the sound of a door creaking open and growls filling the air, made him stop walking. Before Jungkook could notice or realise what's happening, the shelf to his left began to tilt until it toppled over.

The falling shelf landed on top of Jungkook, making him fall and slam against the ground. Pain pierced his skull as his head hit the ground, yet the heavy weight on his chest barely allowed him to breathe, much less release a groan of agony.

Jungkook's face scrunched up in pain before his eyes shot open, he blinked away the blurriness in his vision and looked down at himself. The shelf was laying on top of his chest, crushing his rips and stopping his lungs from properly sucking in a breath.

The sound of growls and feet dragging across the ground, captured Jungkook's attention. He snapped his head towards the noise, his eyes immediately falling onto a walker and the figure standing a little behind it.

A 10 or 11 year old girl, with shoulder-length pitch black hair and grey eyes, stood pressed against the other isle. She had a blanket, that was covered in walker guts, draped over her clothing, preventing the walkers from sensing her. Her face was hard as she stared into Jungkook's eyes before turning around and walking towards the cash register.

"Hey!" Jungkook gasped out in pain, pressing his shaking hands agaisnt the shelf to try and push it off. Jungkook grunted in pain as he pushed the shelf away, the edges of it dragging against his stomach, creating bloody scratch marks on his stomach.

The walker, that came out of the back room, shuffled towards Jungkook until it's feet caught onto the edge of the shelf and he fell on top of it.

A sharp gasp left Jungkook's lips and his back arched off of the ground as the weight on his chest intensified. He desperately twisted his body around to try and wiggle out from underneath the shelf, but the walker crawling towards him made it almost impossible.

"It's nothing personal." The young girl spoke up, grabbing Jungkook's backpack from the counter and swinging it over her shoulder, “I just need you stuff. You can call it '_borrowing_', of course without any returns."

"Stop!" Jungkook called out in disbelief, watching the girl as she turned around and walked towards the exit.

Jungkook cried out in pain- the walker pressing against the shelf and digging it further into his skin. Tears of frustration and pain appeared in the corners of his eyes before he hissed and pushed against the shelf again. The bell rang as the girl left Jungkook alone in the gas station.

"Fûck you!" Jungkook screamed, his voice bouncing off of the walls of the station.

The walker growled and stretched out its hands to grab Jungkook as it finally reaching the end of the fallen shelf. Jungkook's chest heaved up and down in panic, shallow breaths escaping his lips as he slid his arm over the floor to try and find something to defend himself with.

The tips of his fingers came in contact with a sharp piece of glass, making him grasp it. The sharp edges of the glass dug into his palm, making Jungkook hiss, and causing blood to spill out and soak the ground.

Jungkook pushed away the grabbing hands of the walker, as it tried to grab his face or hair, and stabbed the shard of glass into its eye. The walker fell limp, yet the weight on Jungkook's heaving chest didn't lessen.

Jungkook released the glass shard, leaving it stuck in the walker's head, before he pressed both of his hands against the shelf and started to wiggle his hips. His palm ached and bled as he pressed it against the shelf, leaving behind a bloody handprint.

With a grunt and a sharp intake of breath, Jungkook finally pushed the shelf off of himself. He laid on the dirty ground, his head falling back and his eyes squeezing shut as he desperately sucked in air.

A sudden feeling of anger ignited in him, causing Jungkook to release a throaty growl before pushing himself off of the ground. He clutched his aching stomach, lifting his shirt up to see the bloody scratch marks and red tints, that indicated future bruising, on his skin.

Jungkook huffed, shuffling over to the door and pushing past it. He looked down at the ground and found a faint trail of walker guts leading off into the forest. Jungkook's face scrunched up in anger as he pushed forward and limped towards the forest- his bleeding hand wrapped around his waist, while the other reached out for his gun.

He pulled out his gun as he reached the forest. Jungkook followed the trail of walker guts, until he heard a faint sound mumbles and shuffles.

Jungkook stopped walking as he spotted the girl sitting on the ground- her back pressed against a tree as she rummaged through Jungkook's backpack. Jungkook noticed the girl's innocent features, despite the heavy frown on her face. Her cheeks were chubby from still having her baby fat and her eyes shone with innocence.

Jungkook shut his eyes and tilted his head back, trying to push down the anger inside of him. He sighed through his nose before opening his eyes and looking back at the oblivious girl. _How can one be so smart yet stupid?_

Jungkook pressed his bleeding palm against his grey shirt to try and stop his palm from bleeding, but the action only caused the blood to soak and taint his shirt. Jungkook scowled and stepped forward, approaching the girl and raising his gun as he saw her freeze in alarm.

"Hand it over, brat." Jungkook grunted, his voice laced with annoyance and traces of fatigue.

The girl swallowed thickly, her eyes going wide before she looked at Jungkook. If possible, her eyes widened even more after seeing the gun pointed at her,"Uhm...it was a joke?"

"Nice try,"Jungkook scoffed, his lips pressing into a tight line and his face hardening after hearing her speak. He gestured towards his backpack,"Hand it over." He spoke slower as if talking to a baby.

The girl frowned and slowly pulled her arms out of the backpack. She zipped it shut and threw the backpack in Jungkook's direction.

"For fuck sake." Jungkook grumbled as he bent down to grab his backpack, only for his stomach to clench painfully. He grabbed it tighter, straightening out and sliding his gun back into place.

The raven haired girl watched him with a pout before slouching against the three like a grounded 6 year old. Jungkook scoffed, watching her before opening his backpack and grabbing a can of food. He threw the can of corn at the girl, the can landing by her feet.

"If you played nice, would've gotten more." Jungkook grumbled, swinging his backpack over his shoulders before turning around and walking away.

"I can help you with your injuries!"

"Fuck you!" Jungkook called out, raising his middle finger over his shoulder.


	24. A pole in the ass

_The court was struck into silence as the people watched the video, on the screen, in horror. The judge's face was scrunched up in disgust and rage as she saw the 12 year old boy sobbing as his older brother touched him inappropriately. Taehyung was begging for him to stop, yet Kim Jiwoon only snickered and shoved the phone into Taehyung's tear covered face._

_"Turn it off." The judge hissed, the video immediately being shut off. She pressed her hand against her forehead, rubbing her head in distress before looking down at the broken 15 year old with sadness._

_Kim Taehyung was sitting down in his seat timidly, his head was cast down to the ground, making his hair fall into his face to cover up the fact that he was crying. He wiped away his tears, slouching into his seat to try and hide himself from the glares coming from his right._

_The judge turned her attention towards the disgusting human being named Kim Jiwoon. The Male was sitting in his seat with handcuffs wrapped around his wrist and an orange jumpsuit already put on. His nostrils flared in anger as he glared at Taehyung, ignoring the judge's gaze._

_Taehyung's and Jiwoon's parents, who were sitting behind Jiwoon, trying to support him, were now disgusted and heartbroken after seeing the video evidence of the sexual abuse._

_The couple didn't want to believe that they had failed as parents and that one of their children was a rapist. They choose to push the entire idea away, thinking that Taehyung was only doing this for attention. Yet their entire world crashed down after seeing the proof that Taehyung was abused for years and nobody helped him._

_They both broke down, remembering all the times they pushed Taehyung away, when he tried to tell them about Jiwoon, saying that Tae was only jealous of his brother's accomplishments. They remembered how they disowned him and threw him out, when he went to the police station and filed a report agaisnt Jiwoon. They remembered how they told Taehyung that he was no longer their son right before heading into the court, going after Jiwoon and leaving a sobbing Taehyung behind with his aunt, who was livid._

_Taehyung curled into his chair, squeezing his eyes shut and pressing his shaking hands against against his face. His breathing slowly picked up as he felt everyone in the court staring, thinking it was looks of disgust for letting his brother touch him in that way._

_A gentle hand pressed against his shoulder, grabbing his attention and grounding him. Taehyung slowly pulled his hands away when he felt the person crouch in front of him._

_The police officer, that had listened to him at the police department without sending him away, smiled at him gently. The man had been right next to Taehyung with every stop of the way, even going with him to his parents house in case something happened to him. The officer had always made Taehyung feel safe and comfortable, even offering him to stay with his family after Taehyung was thrown out of his house._

_The officer smiled, his curly hair being slicked back and his small scrub starting to grow out,"We can go out for some air, if you want?" The officer whispered, his eyes kind and gentle._

_Taehyung swallowed thickly, wiping away the tears in his eyes before looked at Jiwoon. The two made eye contact, Taehyung finally noticing the handcuffs wrapped around his wrist and the orange jumpsuit._

_"I want to stay." Taehyung whispered, his red face twisting into anger and pain, wanting nothing more than to watch the cops take Jiwoon away in handcuffs,"I want to stay." Taehyung hissed, his eyes squinting as he glared at Jiwoon, momentarily surprising him._

_"Okay, we'll stay. Remember that you're safe here and we won't let anyone hurt you, okay?" Taehyung looked back at the officer and nodded, his eyes dragging down to the name tag on his chest, remembering the first one he heard the name of his guardian angel._

_'Rick Grimes'_

_The judge didn't say anything, waiting for Taehyung to calm down and head out if needed. Nobody in the room opposed to the judge's decision, still trying to swallow the idea of Taehyung being sexually abused for years. People occasionally glared towards Jiwoon or whispered among themselves about what a monster he was._

_Taehyung calmed down and looked at the judge, his small hands playing with his white sweater. Rick stood protectively behind him, his posture stiff and his expression hard._

_The judge nodded, grabbing her papers and looking at Jiwoon with no emotion,"Since the age of 7, you have been taking advantage of Kim Taehyung, using and manipulating a child and his innocence. You used your accomplishments in school to try and create the image that you were perfect and kind, while in reality, you're nothing but a disgusting and vile excuse of a human being."_

_Tears gathered in Taehyung's eyes as he listened to the judge, staring down at the wooden table in front of him,"An older brother is supposed to love and protect their siblings, help them grow and pick them up when needed. But you...you stole something from your little brother, something that should've been treasured and protected." Taehyung squeezed his eyes shut, biting his bottom lip until it bled as he thought about how would it feel like to have a brother that genuinely loved him._

_"I'm aware what they do to monsters like you in prison. I hope that they make you feel so much worse than what you made Mr. Kim go through, and I hope you rot in hell for eternity." The judge growled, raw anger and resentment on her face as she stared down a blank faced Jiwoon. The judge scoffed at him and nodded at the police officers,"Take the trash out."_

_The sight of his abuser being taken away in handcuffs was the best day of Taehyung's life, making him break down in relief and happiness._

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

A sharp gasp filled the quiet room as Taehyung shot up into a sitting position and scrambled back in his bed. His back pressed against the headboard before he pulled his knees up against his chest and wrapped his arms around himself.

Taehyung's chest rose and fell as he tried to steady his breathing, his arm grabbing at his chest. His eyes snapped around the dark room, the moonlight illuminating the white door further away from the bed.

Taehyung rocked himself back and forth, quiet mumbles and whispers leaving his chapped lips as he stared at the door, waiting for it to be pushed open.

"Taehyung?"

Taehyung snapped his head towards his left in alarm, quickly scrambling away from the voice. He curled into himself and rose his hands to protect himself.

"Hey, Tae, it's okay, it's me Michonne." The gentle, feminine voice made Taehyung warily look up.

Michonne carefully made her way over to Taehyung's bed, trying not to startle him,"Another nightmare?" She asked gently, crouching down next to the bed to make herself appear smaller,"It's okay, no one's going to hurt you."

This wasn't the first time Taehyung has had nightmares, or rather flashbacks, of his abuse. After it happened the first time, Michonne tried to calm him but she was confused and didn't know what to do. The next day, Taehyung acted like nothing happened and Michonne didn't want to pry either, knowing that Taehyung would tell her if he was ready.

After a few months of being together, and Taehyung having a few more flashbacks and episodes, he was finally ready to tell Michonne. Michonne was horrified and immediately became really protective of Taehyung. After a while, she knew how to help and approach him in situation like these.

Taehyung watched her in silence before cautiously laying back down with his eyes still strained on Michonne's face.

"I'm going to watch over you, okay? I'm not gonna let anyone in, I'm gonna be right here to protect you and scare all the bad guys away, okay?" Michonne whispered, a smile on her face as she carefully slid her hand into Taehyung's open one.

Taehyung blinked down at their hands before looking up at her and nodding. He pulled Michonne's hand into his chest and basically wrapped himself around it like a small child, seeking for comfort and protection. 

Michonne's smile never crumbled,"You can close your eyes now, I'm gonna be here when you wake up." She whispered, raising her hand and brushing Taehyung's raven hair out of his face.

Taehyung stared at Michonne's smiling face before slowly shutting his eyes, clinging onto her hand and enjoying the feeling of her brushing her hand through his hair.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

"Is this it?"

Jungkook's brows rose as he eyed the building in front of him before averting his gaze down to the girl next to him.

Steele grey eyes looked up at him before rolling around. Freckles dusted over chubby cheeks and button nose, pink lips were pulled down into a frown before parting as the girl spoke,"Obviously."

After she tried to kill Jungkook and he flipped her off before walking away, the girl decided that following and bothering him nonstop was a good idea. The only reason Jungkook didn't run away was, well, because she was 10 years old, but mostly because she told him that there was a mall with a lot of supplies and she could take him there. Jungkook agreed, but not before threatening to shoot her if it was a trap.

"Right." Jungkook murmured, chewing on his lip as his eyes ran over the creme coloured walls, the glass entrance and all three stories of the mall,"Tell me everything again." Jungkook ordered, walking towards the entrance of the mall.

Marley huffed and ran after him, trying to keep up with his long strides, considering she only reached his chest,"I tried to get in there once- through the roof, I had a rope and all, but by breaking the glass, I created too much noise and it attracted the corpses." Marley explained to Jungkook as they stopped and crouched in front of the glass doors of the entrance."I think there could've been forty or fifty, I'm not sure." Marley finished, occasionally glancing at Jungkook.

Jungkook nodded wiping the dust and dirt, on the glass, away with his sleeve. He looked through the glass, squinting his eyes to see the inside of the mall. The sight of walkers roaming around the first floor greeted him. Stores raging from clothing to body product ones, made Jungkook's eyes widen before he shook his head and focused back on the task. He could see that the entrance had a grate that wasn't pulled shut.

"Right, here's the plan." Jungkook whispered, looking down and drawing a square box in the dirt in front of him,"That's the mall," he pointed at the box before drawing an X in front of it."Thats you." He drew a circle on the roof,"That's me."

"I want to be an _X X_ face. Can I be an _X X_ face?" Marley asked, looking up from the drawing.

Jungkook huffed and drew another _X_ next to the already existing one before adding a smile,"That good enough for you?"

Marley smirked teasingly,"It should be a frown."

Jungkook scoffed and rolled his eyes,"Shut up and listen to the plan." He scolded, looking at her firmly, making her pout and shut up.

"You stay here, bang against the door and draw the attention of the walkers-"

"_Walkers_? Is that what you call them? That's kinda la-" Marley shut up once she saw the glare Jungkook was sending her. She blushed and averted her eyes,"Right, sorry."

"As I was saying, you get the attention of the _walkers_, while I go into the mall through the roof. Once most, or all, of them are banging against this door," Jungkook lightly tapped his fingers against the glass entrance behind him,"I lock that grate behind them." He pointed at the open grate a little away from the main door.

"Woah, that's actually smart." Marley murmured, staring up at him with wide eyes filled with innocent amazement.

As Jungkook looked back at her, he rolled his eyes and gave her a fake smile,"Yes, now stick to the plan."

"Yes, sir!" Marley chirped happily, raising her small fists to bang against the glass door, while shouting for the walkers to come to her.

Jungkook watched carefully as the walkers made their way towards the sound before turning around and running around the building. He found metal stairs leading up to the roof, immediately climbing them to get to the top.

The sound of Jungkook's pants and his boots hitting the metal stairs filled the air. He stopped when he was at the top, allowing the gentle breeze to ruffle his messy locks before glancing over his shoulder to look down. The ground looked so far away and for a second, Jungkook thought that the building was swaying and was ready to collapse.

"Fuck." Jungkook gritted, forcing himself to look away from the ground and shakily step on the roof. Gravel was sprinkled over the concrete ground and random skylights were placed in some places. Kook eyed the skylights before noticing broken glass shards around one of them.

Jungkook ran towards the skylight, peering over the edge to look down. He saw a rope tied to the windowsill, going down and pooling on top of a bed, in the mattress store. Jungkook crouched down and looked through the skylight, trying to spot any walkers.

After seeing none, Jungkook carefully climbed over the windowsill, immediately latching onto the rope for some leverage. Jungkook swallowed thickly, wrapping his arms around the rope. As he released his hold on the windowsill, his weight fell on the rope, only for it to snap in half.

A loud yelp left Jungkook's lips as he fell and landed on the glass covered bed. Jungkook hissed, feeling a shard dig into his lower back as he slammed against the mattress. He pushed his body up and carefully climbed out of the bed, making sure not to touch the bed more than necessary.

Jungkook released a soft gasp, his face scrunching up in pain as he took a step forward and the glass shard shifted in his skin. Gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut, Jungkook twisted his arm around and blindly grasped the glass coming out of his skin. Inhaling sharply, Jungkook swiftly pulled the glass of shard out of his back before dropping the bloody thing on the ground.

Warm blood poured out of the wound, dripping down his lower back and soaking in his grey shirt. Jungkook ignored the stinging sensation in his back and made his way out of the mattress store.

Jungkook eyed the empty floor, realising that there had probably been an emergency and the shoppers were escorted down to the first floor. He peered over the edge of the railing, noticing a faint sound of growls and the walkers banging against the glass door, only drawing the attention of more walkers.

Jungkook quickly turned around and found an unmoving escalator, trying to descent it as quietly as he could. Once he reached the bottom, Jungkook's eyes dragged over the shops and the few stray walkers walking towards their snarling buddies. His eyes focused on the small horde of walkers gathered around the glass entrance, banging and snarling against the glass.

Jungkook jumped into a sprint, his feather like footsteps barely hearable above the sound of the growls. He tried to steady his pants as he reached the entrance. The foul smell of rotten corpses and blood filled Jungkook's nose, nearly making him gag.

Jungkook could faintly hear Marley as she banged against the glass and shouted something. He grabbed a hold of the grate, keeping an eye on the distracted walkers as they pushed up against each other to try and break through the glass. Jungkook winced when the grate rattled as it was pulled shut, capturing the attention of the walkers. They swiftly turned their attention on Jungkook, one even turning around and shoving through the small opening.

Jungkook slammed the grate shut on the walker's extended arm, the force of the shut, making the arm snap off and fall the the ground. Jungkook gaged before grabbing the lock, that was already in the grate, and locking it.

Jungkook stepped back, running a hand through his sweaty locks as he watched the walkers turn their attention on him and push against the grate. Their hands slipped through the grate, reaching out to try and grab him.

Light, fast approaching footsteps, caused Jungkook to pull out his gun and turn around in alarm. His first thought was that the walkers were evolving and they knew how to run now.

But instead of seeing a running walker, the tip of his gun was met with the unimpressed face of Marley,"Are you gonna shoot, asshat?"

Jungkook scoffed and shoved his gun back into the holster. He ignored Marley and her snarky comments, instead, walking past her and further into the store.

The store was quite large and dark, the roof of the main hallway towered over Jungkook, displaying all three floors of the mall. There was a long skylight, travelling from the entrance all the way down to the end of the hallway. Since there was no electricity, the sun shining through the skylight was the only source of light.

"We should go to the pharmacy first, you're injured." Marley said firmly as she caught up to him, grabbing Jungkook by his wrist and pulling him in a certain direction.

"And who's fault is that?" Jungkook sassed with an eye roll, allowing the younger girl to pull him to the pharmacy.

Jungkook's eyes ran over the different stores, making sure to remember them as he passed by. He wanted to use the bathroom to clean up and change his clothes. Even thought it was the apocalypse, hygiene was still important and walking around with a 3 day old shirt was really bothering him.

"Look." Marley puffed out her cheeks in annoyance, releasing Jungkook's wrist to turn around and face him,"I never wanted to kill or hurt you. I just wanted to distract you for a while so I could take your stuff and get away unharmed."

Jungkook stared down at her blankly, blinking slowly to see if this bullshit was real,"That doesn't sound much better."

"The idea, that I never wanted to hurt you, counts!" Marley exclaimed, her chubby cheeks gaining a hint of pink as she got frustrated.

Jungkook cracked a smile when he saw her scoff and pout, before crossing her arms over her chest like a scolded child,"Help me treat my wounds and I'll forgive you." Jungkook sighed, watching as her face lit up.

Marley quickly grabbed him by his wrist, pulling him to the pharmacy. They took a sharp left turn and walked through another hallway before stopping in front of the pharmacy. Jungkook eyed the store with the red '+' sign above the entrance. He carefully entered the store, his fingers running over the dust covered shelves and the bottles of the pills laying on the shelves.

"How do you know what to get?" Jungkook raised a brow, approaching Marley, who was eyeing different packages before grabbing a few.

Marley shrugged, squinting her eyes to read what was written on a bottle,"My sister taught me everything she knew when this happened. It didn't matter that I was 8, she just shoved a gun in my hand and told me how to use it."

Jungkook bit the side of his cheek, staring at her baby fat covered features,"Where's your sister now?"

Marley paused, her whole face dropping as she looked away from the bottle as if she was remembering something. Marley shook her head, looking back at Jungkook,"I know how to disinfect or even stitch, show me what hurts."

Jungkook nodded without mentioning how she avoided his question, guessing that her sister was no longer with them. The two decided to walk around the counter for more protection before Jungkook lifted his shirt up to expose his stomach.

Marley's brows raised and her eyes widened when she saw dark green bruises forming right on top of Jungkook's abs. She winced, noticing the scratch marks covering Jungkook's pecks. She looked up at Jungkook's deadpan face, shooting him a sheepish look.

"Sorry." Marley murmured, her words laced with guilt as she gently disinfected the wounds.

Jungkook sighed, looking away from her,"I understand why you attacked me and tried to take my stuff. The shelf thing was pretty clever but you left behind a trail, that anyone could track." Jungkook shook his head in disapproval, hissing when Marley purposefully pressed the cotton pad harshly against s scratch mark.

"Do you know how to track?" Marley perked up, finally registering his words. She decided not to cover his scratch marks and just let them heal, along with his bruises.

Jungkook sighs, allowing his shirt to fall back down before turning around and lifting it back up to reveal his other wound,"I'm bad at it. My..._uh_...friend taught me. I wish there was more I learned, he was...he was great." Jungkook whispered, his voice thick with emotion as he thought about Daryl.

Marley eyed the deep wound on Jungkook's lower back before grabbing her medical stuff and working on it,"Is he dead?"

"No!" Jungkook immediately exclaimed, his head snapping back in alarm.

Marley sent him a weird look, grabbing a gauze and wrapping it around Jungkook's abdomen, making sure it pressed down on the wound.

"Why aren't you with your friend now?" She raised a brow, pursuing her lips as Jungkook let go of his shirt and turned around.

"It's complicated." Jungkook shot her question down, turning around and walking out of the store. Marley grumbled under her breath as she ran after him,grabbing his arm and directing him towards the food market.

"Were you separated?"

"No."

"Do you know where he is?"

"Yes."

"Was he a bad person?"

"Absolutely not."

"Was he hurting you?"

"Never."

"Then I don't see why you're not with him." Marley shrugged, skipping over to the food market and grabbing a cart.

Jungkook inhaled sharply, closing his eyes to compose his annoyance. He released a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose before opening his eyes. Jungkook's mouth fell open and his eyes widened in alarm when he saw Marley trying to climb into a cart.

Jungkook quickly ran over to her, grabbing her by her armpits and swiftly pulling her out of the cart,"What are you doing?!"

"Hey!" Marley whined after Jungkook took her out of the cart, destroying her fun.

"There's an age limit and so many things could go wrong. The cart could break and you could be spared on a broken piece. You'll be screaming as I try to pull you off the bent metal, which will attract any remaining walkers that are in this place." Jungkook rambled all in one breath, exhaling deeply and slouching his shoulders when he's done. 

Marley's lips were parted and her face was scrunched up as she stared up at Jungkook. She slowly shook her head before placing her hands on her hips,"Does it hurt?”

Jungkook rolled his eyes, grabbing the cart and pushing it into the store,"Does what hurt?" He asked with annoyance, not even looking at her.

"The pole shoved up your ass."

Jungkook's head snapped towards her and he stopped rolling the cart, sending a smirking Marley, a glare. They two had an intense staring contest, Jungkook squinted his eyes even more and bent down to get into her face. Marley snorted and raised an unimpressed brow at Jungkook's tactic of intimidation. Jungkook groaned and straightened out, looking away in defeat,"Get in the cart, brat."

Marley grinned widely, grabbing the edge of the cart and climbing into it. She leaned into the cart so that her back was to Jungkook. Even though it was hard to control the cart with the extra weight, Jungkook chose not to say anything after noticing Marley's huge grin.

"We should go faster." Marley suggested, her hands gripping the edges of the cart as Jungkook pushed her through the store.

"I'm the one pushing the cart, so, no." Jungkook grumbled, carefully turning the cart into the food isle. Jungkook grabbed packets of chips and other snacks, throwing them into the cart and onto Marley's lap.

"Maybe the extra speed will help you get that pole out of your ass." Marley said rather loudly, grabbing a pack of chips and pulling them open.

Jungkook rolled his eyes, glaring down at the back of her head,"I don't have a pole shoved up my ass. And you can't curse, you're a child." Jungkook scolded, making Marley turn her head around and give him a look of disbelief.

"I'm sure that _kids_ aren't meant to use guns either." She pursued her lips, staring up at Jungkook sassily as she shoved a handful of chips into her mouth.

Jungkook squinted his eyes and delivered a quick, light smack to her forehead,"Respect your elders, brat."

Marley yelped, rubbing her forehead with a frown,"Why are you so uptight anyway?" She asked, turning her head back around to look ahead.

Jungkook stopped rolling the cart when he reached the end of the isle. He eyed the main isle, noticing that it was empty and was just a long, straight isle with nothing, but refrigerators on the side.

"You want speed?" Jungkook asked Marley, who stopped eating and looked up at him with curiosity. She nodded cautiously, making Jungkook smirk widely.

Before Marley could react, Jungkook began to run and push the cart at full speed. When the speed was enough and the cart was rolling on its own, Jungkook jumped up on the cart, positioning his legs on the back wheels.

Marley grinned widely, raising her hands up in the air and cheering as they rolled down the isle. Jungkook didn't even notice as a grin split his face in half and he released a small laugh, enjoying the way the air brushed against his cheeks and pushed his hair back. The cart continued to roll until it began to swerve around and nearly hit another isle.

Jungkook quickly jumped off, grabbing the cart and stopping it from slamming into an isle that displayed sweet peanuts in cans.

"Again!" Marley yelled in excitement, looking over her shoulder at Jungkook with wide eyes filled with excitement.

As Jungkook looked into Marley's eyes, he finally noticed the way her eyes glistened with purity. After all this time, no matter what happened to Marley or what she's seen, her soul still managed to shine brightly with raw happiness and innocence.

In that moment, Jungkook's walls crumbled and his whole world shifted as he promised to protect the only innocent thing left in this world. Maybe that's what made Jungkook turn the cart around and roll down the isle again and again until the store was filled with joyous laughter, that pushed out the sound of the walkers growling.


End file.
